A Date With Destiny
by moonhaku
Summary: When Hinata’s friends convince her to sign up for a blind date for her school’s King of Hearts ball, she wasn’t expecting a match-up with the most popular heartthrob around. When the school paper catches on, rumors will fly and hearts will break. SasuHina
1. Tiny Paper Slips of Doom

**_A Date With Destiny_**

**Summary:**When Hinata's friends convince her to sign up for a blind date for her school's King of Hearts ball, she wasn't expecting a match-up with the most popular heartthrob around. When the school paper catches a whiff of this, rumors and gossip are suddenly flying around. Suddenly Hinata seems to be loved and hated by almost everyone she knows. Her fame is shot up into the popular sect of the school, into a life of fame, glory, and broken hearts—something she is definitely _not_prepared for.

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

_ Sasuke Uchiha_

Hinata looked over the match-up slip again. It was still the same jaw-dropping name, over and over again. It was the name that every teenager in the massive kindergarten through grad school academy knew and most, worshipped. Sasuke Uchiha was not only number one in academic studies, but also captain of the high school soccer and basketball team. As if that wasn't enough, he had looks that could kill and a mega-rich inheritance. Anyone who could capture his heart would instantly have everything their shriveled little heart desired.

Ever since he dumped Sakura Haruno, girls have been eyeing him more than ever, especially since the biggest bash in school history was coming. The legendary King of Hearts ball was expensive, regal, ultra-cool and instant fame-making. The best thing was, to get in; you needed a date, but not just any date.

A blind date.

This was the night that always changed the life of high school seniors forever. Couples broke up with no tears shed and bonds were made to last a lifetime. It was the ultimate dream of every girl to receive the name of the city's most eligible bachelor, Sasuke Uchiha.

Except for one Hinata Hyuuga, of course.

To anyone, her name would not be recognized, but those who listen carefully would stop short in their step. She was the heir of the prestigious Hyuuga name, the girl with nothing but an inheritance quadruple the size of the Uchiha's and the place as president of Hyuuga Corps. But unlike Sasuke Uchiha, she wasn't outgoing, confident or "cool". She wasn't ugly, but she was shy and that led her to hide behind her heavy clothes all the time. Although she was amazingly knowledgeable about business, she needed to gain the confidence to inherit the company after her father.

Of course, she had friends, even if they were mostly boys. They thought of her as one of them, not as a girl, but just as a friend. It was satisfying enough—until Naruto came up with that idiot idea about the King of Hearts ball. Hinata cursed him one thousand times in her mind before hurrying back to her dorm. She couldn't understand how and why he had persuaded her to sign up for the stupid _stupid_ blind date for the _stupid_ King of Hearts Ball.

Who cared if it was legendary and history-making?

* * *

"_I'm not going, Naruto-kun," Hinata argued, "Dances aren't my style, besides, blind dates are, well, not my type of thing." _

_Naruto rolled his eyes playfully; he ripped open a bag of potato chips and stuffed some in his mouth before Chouji snatched it away. _

"_C'mon Hinata. It won't be that bad, besides, all the guys are signing up!"_

"_Well, you guys can go have your fun," Hinata scowled, "I'm not interested."_

_She tried to concentrate on the television screen in front of her, turning up the volume to block out Naruto's annoying comments. Hinata never attended any of the previous dances at Konoha Academy, and she didn't plan to in the future. _

"_Don't be so lame, Hinata, everyone is going __**and**__ this is our last year here!"_

"_No it's not."_

"_Okay, but it's our last year as seniors in high school, then we'll be freshman in the university sect of this place! We should enjoy this while we can!" _

_Naruto leaned back on the comfy sofa and took a sip of his Pepsi. Hinata stared at the shapes and colors on the TV screen and tried not to let herself be persuaded by Naruto's argument. It was true that they would be moving to college next year, but couldn't attending dances wait until then? It's not like it was life-threatening or anything to __**not**__ go. _

"_Hey, look, Hinata. Just give it a try, okay? If you don't like it, then I just won't pressure you anymore. Okay?" _

"_Fine, I'll go, but—"_

"_Seriously?! We've got to get you signed up!—"_

"_**But**__, just this once—"_

"_The last sign-up date is 9 p.m. today, we've got to hurry! Holy crap, it's already 8:40!"_

"_Naruto! Just listen to me—"_

"_No time, Hinata! C'mon, we've got to get you signed up!" _

_With that, Naruto dragged her out of the room and down the stairs to the lobby._

* * *

"Wo ai ni, XingFa!"

"Wo ye ai ni, XiaoWei!"

Hinata munched on a juicy pear while watching a Chinese soap. They were highly addicting, although she had no idea what kind of gibberish they were spouting, but she could get the gist of it though.

So far, the main actress had gotten into some kind of marriage with an evil guy, though she didn't know that and the guy didn't know that either. Then this other girl, who was her sister, but no one knew _that _of course, seduced the evil guy who didn't know that he was evil who was also that main actress's husband. Then he divorced his wife and married the other person. Then they all found out that the man worked for some drug company that was exporting opium illegally and then he turned all evil and stuff. The two sisters found out about their relationship and tried to find about the rest of their family. Then the first one, the main actress whom an evil guy divorced was wasn't evil at first, fell in love with some guy who was actually her cousin.

Yeah…and some people say that Japanese soaps were messed up, Hinata thought. She threw the pear core into the violet trashcan next to the coffee table.

It made a nice plunking sound when it hit the bottom of the trash can. Hinata switched off the television and stretched. One look at her clock told her that she should get some sleep if she was going to do_anything_ she had planned on tomorrow. Thank goodness there was no school for two weeks before the King of Hearts Ball. That's one thing Hinata loved about this academy, despite its abundance of frat boys and emotionally ballistic fangirls.

The other reason was the utter amount of _space_ in Leaf Academy for the Rich and Famous (without that last part, of course). Leaf Academy was like a whole self-sufficient community; it had almost fifty thousand people on campus. There were students ranging from kindergarten to grad school and everything from hospitals to movie theatres here. This academy was famous for producing the most talented and gifted at basically _everything_, be it instrumental, dancing, cooking, vocal or anything else. This, was the place that children of leading business leaders went to establish connections early on. Of course, it was also accessible to outstanding students with scholarships.

Hinata flung open the curtains in her bedroom and sat on her bed, staring at the bright, twinkling lights all around her. It was almost like a city that never slept, she thought humorously, honestly, I can't see _any_ stars around here. Before she laid down to sleep, she looked one last time at the plain strip of paper by her bed. She still couldn't believe that out of all people, she just had to get Sasuke Uchiha.

Irritably, she turned the paper upside and stuck it in a drawer. That was tomorrow's problem and Naruto's, she thought evilly, he's _got_ to pay for this.

* * *

"_Oh no you don't! Get back here Naruto Uzimaki!" Hinata ran after the blond headed idiot. Her eyes were flaming with a challenge and she was also clutching a pink, frilly dress in her hands. Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't so amused. You wouldn't be either if a madwoman who wanted to dress you in a pink frilly thing was chasing you, and consequently was also the cross-country champion. _

_Hinata finally chased him down into a dead end and walked closer with a menacing look on her pale features. He smiled nervously and licked his lips, "Um…Hinata, you don't have to do this…I'm sorry! Seriously—AAHHHH!!"_

_Half an hour later, pictures of a certain Naruto Uzimaki wearing a hot pink dress with makeup on was distributed throughout the whole campus via stacks of fliers. _

Hinata opened her eyes slowly, relishing the dream that she just had. Oh, how she wished that it were actually true! But in her heart, she _knew_ that she couldn't run around campus with a frilly pink dress chasing down the _real_ cross-country champion, who by the way, was _Naruto_. Sounds of loud knocking woke her up out of her daydream as she threw on a light over-robe to cover her pajamas.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

She strode toward the door and flung it open. A perky, blond haired senior with bright blue eyes smiled chipperly and recited, "Only 320 hours and two minutes until the King of Hearts ball! Reminder is courtesy of the Glam, Glitter and All Things Sparkly Girls Glee Club! Have a happy, happy day!"

With that, the blond skipped(bounced, actually) down the hallway only to stop at another unfortunate person's door. Hinata shook her head in confusion; _what_ in the world was the big fuss about the stupid ball? A rhetorical question, she realized, when she stepped into the food court for a quick brunch. It was practically overflowing with girls carrying enormous shopping bags, screaming, squealing and gabbling about the fashionable outfits they just found.

Just when she sat down with a heaping plate of eggs, sausages and pancakes; Naruto came along without his natural troupe of friends. She looked up at him, confused. He normally didn't come bother her this early in the day.

"What's up?", he asked casually.

When he showed no signs of leaving, she responded, "Nothing much. Just a bunch of rabid fangirls jumping around everywhere, what's new?" She shrugged and took a bite of her eggs. She noticed that he was staring at her while she washed it all down with orange juice.

"What are _you_ staring at?"

"Nothing."

"Suuuure."

"I mean it!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what _did_ you come here for?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot to ask you who you got!"

"For what?" Hinata scowled, trying to remember what Naruto was asking about. He rolled his eyes dramatically at her and replied sarcastically, "For the King of Hearts ball, or did you just not notice the unusual amount of excitement floating around?"

"Oh. That." Hinata mentally whacked herself on the head, "You know I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"Like anyone _cares. _C'mon, just tell me!"

"Only if you tell me first."

"Fine," Naruto took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, "here."

Hinata wiped her hands quickly, snatched the paper away eagerly and smoothed it out on the table. Her lavender eyes widened in wonder as she read the name.

"You got Sasuke Uchiha's _girlfriend?!_"

"SHHH!!" Naruto jumped up and snatched the paper away quickly, "Don't yell it out! Besides, she's not exactly his girlfriend anymore, y'know."

"But still, Sakura Haruno! You scored big-time, Naruto!" Hinata smiled slyly, "Shouldn't you be at least happy for yourself?"

"Yeah, sure. You say it as if it were a good thing," Naruto muttered glumly. "Just today she had sent me twenty death glares. How am I going to live?!"

"Well…it can't be all _that_ bad, " Hinata patted his shoulder, " You might actually get lucky with her for once!"

"As if that would happen," Naruto's eyes suddenly changed into slivers and said," So who'd you get, Hinata?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"How am I changing the subject? I showed you mine, now tell me yours."

"Fine. It's Sasuke Uchiha."

"What?"

"It's Sasuke Uchiha, damn it all!" Hinata whispered quickly.

"HOLY SHIT! Are you SERIOUS?! SASUKE UCHIHA—", Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Shut up, Naruto! Do you want to set the whole school on me?!"

Suddenly, the whole place was very quiet. Naruto sat down slowly and looked around him nervously. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were centered around them, thanks to his shouting.

"Naruto…you're gonna pay for that…", Hinata glared menacingly at the senior in front of her.

Naruto gulped nervously and tugged at his collar.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hahaha, poor Naruto-kun. I wonder what Hinata's going to do to him. XD**

**Thanks for reading and plz review! **

**moonlight haku**

* * *


	2. Beginning of the End

**_A Date With Destiny_ **

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto and I don't own McDonalds either ;**

* * *

_"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends." – Walt Whitman_

Hinata knew that slathering a mixture of bubble gum, chocolate, whipped cream and raw eggs on her best friend's face and hair probably wasn't the nicest thing to do, but hey, it was that or either distributing flyers with pictures of him with snot all over his face when he was eleven. Now _that_ was true humiliation. But since Hinata had a larger-than-normal soft spot for everyone, she actually gave Naruto a choice in the matter. Believe me, in her position, that was _not_ an easy choice to make.

She stepped back to admire her handiwork, who was strapped with rope and heavy duct tape to keep from struggling while she applied her mixture on his face. Then she ducked into the bathroom to quickly wash off the sticky goop that was hardening on her soft hands. Her face couldn't help but twist into an evil grin at the thought of Naruto walking down the street with that goop all over him.

Her hands fumbled around in her back pocket until she fished out a cell phone. Hinata stepped out and held the phone's camera in front of Naruto. She relished the way his eyes widened and how he started to struggle wildly all of the sudden. Despite that, however, she successfully snapped a picture of him in all his chocolate, gum, whipped cream and raw egg glory. She threw the cell phone onto her couch and untied the person plopped in her plush chair.

"Now," she smiled, "You know what you have to do now, right?"

Naruto nodded glumly and whined, "C'mon, Hinata…please? I'm practically begging you! Don't make me do this!"

"You should've thought of that when you decided to yell out his name in front of the whole school," Hinata retorted quickly.

"But, but…how will I face Sakura when I'm done?!"

"That's_your_ problem."

"Aw, c'mon Hinata! Please...don't make me do this!!"

Hinata felt the iron grip on her emotions break off and finally she sighed, "Fine. Just go and wash—"

"Thanks, Hinata!" Naruto gave her a quick bear hug before racing toward the bathroom, "You're the best!"

Hinata looked at the frantic form of her friend and put her head down on the maplewood table. While punishing him had been fun, there were bigger problems to deal with; namely the crowds of rabid fangirls that had given her the evil eye when Naruto practically screamed out Uchiha's name.

* * *

_Right after Hinata finished threatening Naruto, a hand with pink floral-designed nails slammed down on the table, causing it to tremble violently. Without even looking up, Hinata knew who it was; Sakura Haruno, possibly the worst girl to have on your tail. With her troops of girls led by her and best friend, Ino Yamanaka, you didn't want to be on her bad side. Hinata looked up at defiant emerald eyes and a pair of pink, sparkly lips. Sakura's pink hair was wrapped up in a bun with two wavy strands hanging down to frame her face._

"_Is it true that you have Sasuke Uchiha as your date?"_

"_Y-yes…" Hinata grimaced, she was stuttering again! _

_Sakura looked her straight in the eye and bent down to whisper softly, "I suggest calling off your date if you want to keep that pretty little face of yours, bitchy little whore."_

_Then, with a confident, smug smile, Sakura strode away with her posse following her like begging puppies. Hinata looked down in shock while tears started to swim in her eyes. She blinked quickly and gasped when a tear hit the table below her._

"_Are you alright?" Hinata felt a heavy hand on her head, "Don't let her get to you, she's just jealous."_

_With a shuddering breath, Hinata nodded and tried to control her emotions again, "Yeah…I guess."_

* * *

"Hey, you alright?"

Hinata gasped quickly when a worried voice broke into her daydreams. She looked up and saw Naruto drying his dripping hair with a towel. She nodded soberly and forced a smile onto her face. Haruno's threat had scared the living daylights out of her; but it couldn't be any worse than what she had to go through before.

"I think you missed a spot," Hinata rose on tiptoe to wipe off the piece of chocolate that hung onto Naruto's hair. It dismayed her to think that he was so much taller than her five foot two inch frame, where once they had stood at the same height.

"By the way, you never told me what Sakura said to you," Naruto's head poked out from under the wet towel.

"It's not important," Hinata said while flipping a piece of her hair, trying to be carefree. It won't help if he knows, Hinata thought, he'd just be worried and stress over it.

"Fine. I know you won't tell me even if I asked," Naruto stood in the middle of the living room with a tank top on, "Besides, aren't you going to get ready for the dance like everyone else?"

Hinata raised an eyebrow humorously and grinned, "Everyone else? Is that supposed to include you?"

"Ha! I know I could make you smile again," Naruto chuckled happily.

"Naruto!" Hinata laughed and threw a pillow at him.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Naruto picked up a froggy pillow and weighed it in his palm, "PILLOW FIGHT!"

* * *

Hinata laughed happily as she thought back to how ridiculous Naruto looked with hundreds of feathers stuck to his wet hair and shoulders. She had obviously won that fight, but she knew that Naruto was just trying to make her happy. A warm breeze went through her hair as she gazed out into the huge manmade lake that reflected a setting sun.

"Whaddya laughing at?"

Hinata looked up at Naruto as he sat down with two bags of McDonalds happy meals. She plucked up a bag gingerly and said," Aren't we a bit old to be eating these?"

"Well," Naruto smiled sheepishly, "They had these trading cards and—"

"It's ok," Hinata giggled at his childish hobbies, "I'll give you the one I get."

Naruto smiled gratefully as he bit into the tiny cheeseburger in his hand. Hinata took a small bite of the cheeseburger and looked around. The eating area was almost empty, save for a few elementary students trading cards and such. It seemed as if all the high school students had disappeared from these fast-food places.

"…dirty purple haired freak…."

Hinata shot straight up when she heard the malicious whisper float by her ear. Dark shadows in the far corner of the eating areas seemed to come alive when some of them ducked away. She sat down with a shudder, her cheerful mood completely shattered.

"Um, Naruto?", she stared at the table, "I think that I'll go back now…sorry."

She ran from the table, ignoring the calls that she had forgotten her food back on the red plastic table.

When she ran near a crowd of people in the computer and gaming area, some of them turned around and pointed at her. Hinata could see the words, "Sasuke Uchiha" forming on their lips. She turned around and raced back to her dorm. Shutting the mahogany door behind her, Hinata slid down the floor and hid her face in her hands. Then she noticed a strange smell coming from her door, she stood up and opened it and gasped.

Someone had written "freak" again and again with spray paint all over her door.

With a sob, Hinata slammed her door shut and sank to the floor in a heap of tears.

_dingdong_

Hinata jumped and ran to her door. When she opened it, a girl with two brown buns on her head smiled and quipped, "Big news on the paper today, here's a free edition for…" she checked the list, "…for Miss Hinata Hyuuga! Remember, only 296 hours until the King of Hearts ball! Reminder today is courtesy of the Leaf Gazzette Gabbler and the Glam, Glitter and All Things Sparkly Girls Glee Club!"

With that over with, the girl skipped away to the next door down the hallway. Hinata looked down at the paper in her paper and jumped. Right on the front was her name in twenty-four size boldprint. And right next to it?

The name was non other than Sasuke Uchiha:

**EXTRA EXTRA! **

**Hinata Hyuuga Steals Away Sasuke Uchiha?**

** Hinata Hyuuga**, age seventeen may have just dashed the hopes of every high school girl attending Leaf Academy. Although not a member of the GGATSGGC (Glam, Glitter and All Things Sparkly Girls Glee Club) or CBGR (Cherry Blossoms for the Glamorous and Regal), she has managed to snatch away the golden date for the upcoming King of Hearts ball! When she and Naruto Uzimaki (possible love scandal? See pg. 5) were discussing things in the food court at exactly 9:47 a.m., witnesses report overhearing the couple talking about the match-up slips. A teary Sakura Haruno emerged through the crowd accusing the previously unknown Hinata Hyuuga of seducing her boyfriend months earlier. Many students rally around to back up the sudden claims while an equal amount dispute it.

Much to the surprise of many students, Ino Yamanaka did not stand by her friend's side. She accused Haruno of letting out her intense sorrow on a poor, unpopular schoolmate who unlucklily received Uchiha's date. The club is divided and Hinata Hyuuga may be the cause. After screaming at her former best friend, Haruno walked away with tears streaming down her eyes and a group of people consoling her. Quoting Yamanaka on why she decided to split with her best friend, "Big forehead Ino's nickname for Haruno just needs to stop picking on the less popular and known. She'll be over it in a second. Although, for Hyuuga-san, I have a word of advice, watch out."

So far, Sasuke Uchiha has been denying to say anything to our reporters.

_Oh no_, Hinata thought, biting back another sob, she sank down to the floor once again.

* * *

**Author's Note: This was a bit shorter, but equally fun to write. Thanks SO much for the reviews, I really didn't expect it! ******** Thanks for reading and plz review! **

**moonlight haku**

* * *


	3. Beauty Is the Beast

_**A Date with Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was reclining on his couch, enjoying the light summer breeze coming through the open window. A puffy cloud drifted lazily on the sky overhead while he read the newspaper article. To be frank, he wasn't really surprised—and now, at least he knew who the girl he was going to hook up with was going to be. Finding her in the school databases would've been a drag and asking around really wasn't his style...

And besides, asking around meant going outside and facing the big bad crowd of girls.

Sasuke Uchiha knew girls. He was worshiped, admired and loved by them, envied by other boys and there was no competition at all—except for a certain blond-haired dumbass. He shifted his eyes on the slightly smaller picture printed on the sheet. Naruto Uzumaki, the closest person who had ever come to actually beating him at something.

But that was also something that Sasuke Uchiha would never admit to anyone.

He took a second look at the girl whose name was proclaimed in large, bold-print font on the front of the Gabbler. She wasn't bad looking; with the ivory skin, milky white eyes (probably contacts, anyway) and black-violet hair. But she was nothing like the girls he usually dated; she wasn't sassy, confident or sprightly. In fact, Sasuke thought, she looked quiet and shy; in short, she had no personality and was therefore underneath his notice.

Although, he did hold a certain admiration for her—to make Haruno steam like that was amazing. It wasn't hard to make that bubble-gum girl angry, but to make her go over the edge and leak fake tears was awe-inspiring. Somewhere deep down, he knew that it was more because Haruno didn't get him for the ball, but Naruto Uzumaki.

Sasuke threw the sheets of paper down to the floor and looked out the balcony window. He decided that maybe, he should go pay Hinata Hyuuga a friendly visit—even if there were big bad fangirls out looking for revenge.

After all, she was the reason Haruno was flipping out and Sasuke Uchiha was extremely grateful.

* * *

"Aw c'mon Hinata! You can't stay in there forever!" Naruto yelled at the closed door.

"Yes I can! Just watch me," came a slightly muffled voice.

Naruto sighed, he couldn't believe that he was standing in front of a closed door and arguing on a perfect summer day a week-and-a-half before the King of Hearts ball. These two weeks were supposed to be the best days of his high school life, but instead, he was here.

Arguing at a closed mahogany door.

Frustrated, he crossed his arms in front of his T-shirt again and said, "Will you at least let me in?"

"Only if you won't drag me out," came the curt reply. Despite his earlier frustration, Naruto couldn't help but grin at how well Hinata knew him.

"Okay, fine," he grumbled, "Can you just tell me what's wrong?"

The door slowly creaked open and Naruto let himself in. He found all the lights off and Hinata curled up on the sofa with cushions piled up around. Her hair was mussed and tangled and her face still had tear streaks on them. She glared shakily at him and grumbled, "Don't you dare tell anyone about this."

"Are you okay?", Naruto put his arm around her.

"Do I look okay?", Hinata stared at him from under the cushions.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto scratched his head nervously with his other hand, "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's alright," Hinata sighed and wiped her eyes with another tissue, "Have you seen the Gabbler yet?"

"Duh, how could I forget?", Naruto whined, "Some crazy girl showed up at my door and—"

"I know," Hinata mumbled impatiently, "That's what happened to me too. Have you read the front page article on it?"

"Uh…I'm not too much of a reader—", Naruto replied right before a thick folded Gabbler was thrown at his face.

"Well," Hinata snapped, "Then you can read it now."

She hid in her pile of cushions again as Naruto scanned the headlines. His clear blue eyes widened in surprise and then disbelief.

"POSSIBLE LOVE SCANDAL!", he yelled.

"Not that, you idiot," Hinata yelled at him in reply, "The other stuff! About me and Uchiha and Sakura and stuff…how will I ever face anyone ever again?"

"C'mon, can't be that bad," Naruto said, "The love scandal is worse—"

"Is that all you can think about right now!"

"Sorry, but, you're just so shy, Hinata. You have to be more confident!" Naruto stuck both his thumbs up and threw a shining grin in her face. Through her tears, Hinata giggled at his silly antics; Naruto always did know how to make her feel better.

"So, let's go out and face that big, bad world together, 'kay?" Naruto smiled and led her to the door.

"Fine," Hinata replied, "But just let me clean myself up, I'm a mess."

"Okay, but don't stay in there forever!" Naruto chuckled to himself cheerfully as Hinata ran to the bathroom.

* * *

Sasuke adjusted his black tinted lenses and surveyed the school park. It was partially filled with yapping dogs, earthy (nerdy) freshmen and scatterbrained middle-schoolers. It would've been a completely safe zone if there wasn't also a large number of girls there also. Some of them were whispering and pointing while others weren't being so discreet about whatever they were discussing.

Suddenly, their talking grew louder and many other people seemed to appear out of nowhere. Sasuke was about to make a break for it when he heard some random standing next to him whisper, "It's Hinata Hyuuga!"

Then he jerked his head up to the place where other people were all looking at and pointing to. He was rather surprised—he hadn't speculated that Hyuuga would actually come out of her dorm so early. Wasn't she at least a bit afraid of Haruno's threat of revenge? Sasuke shook his head, that wasn't his problem anyway. Why was he here anyway? Oh, yeah, he thought, to see the Hyuuga.

When he took off his sunglasses, he was relieved to find that no mob of fangirls came to chase him like they usually did. That Hyuuga was walking confidently with some blond—Naruto Uzimaki! Hmmm, Sasuke wondered, I wonder if that article about the love scandal was true, I mean, it's not everyday you see a rich heiress walk with a good-for-nothing idiot. He almost smiled to himself at the thought, but kept up his cool disposition.

This is going to be interesting, Sasuke thought slyly, I wonder how long it takes for them to find out that being famous is not going to be paradise.

Hinata tried to mask her inner nervousness and kept her strides confident. For some strange reason, she felt like she was making a statement to someone, that she was actually making an impact with every step. Right next to her, Naruto whispered quietly in her ear, "Great job, Hinata. Keep it up!"

Even though she heard her name all around the park, she smiled shakily and kept on walking. It's alright, I'm just going for a walk in the park with my friend, she thought, there's nothing wrong about that, right?

"Hi Hinata-san, I'm Ino Yamanaka, I think that you know me, right?"

Hinata did a double take, Ino Yamanaka, talking to her? That was just plain wrong. She tried to wipe the surprised look from her face when Naruto stepped in, "Sorry Ino. She's just a bit shy."

"Y-yeah," Hinata grinned nervously, "Um, n-nice to meet-t you Yamanaka-san."

"Call me Ino, and you know what?" The blonde's blue eyes shined, "I'm having a slumber party tonight, and you should totally come. I want to hear all about it."

"H-hear all ab-about what?" Hinata scowled as she tried to remember what Ino was referring to.

Ino rolled her eyes playfully and slapped Hinata's arm gently, "You know, about that whole deal with Sasuke-kun and Sakura and Uzumaki. I want to know everything. My dorm's by the lake, in the Valentino section. It's room 19B, the party starts at seven, so don't be late." With that, Ino walked away with her usual group—minus one Sakura Haruno, of course.

Hinata stood there, star-struck. She couldn't believe her ears; Ino Yamanaka had just invited her to a slumber party. She could hear Naruto's gentle laugh in her ears, "Well, it seems like you're not too bad off, huh Hinata?"

"Yeah,", Hinata murmured, "Thanks for making me come out, Naruto."

"No prob," Naruto flipped his hair carelessly and suddenly whispered, "Look sharp, Sakura's coming this way."

Sakura walked up to the gathering crowd with a model's precise stride. Her reputation preceded her and everyone pulled away, possibly awaiting a big scuffle to follow. But instead, Sakura put on a big fake grin and said, "Hi Hinata! I can't believe, Ino invited you to her slumber party, I mean, she invites just anyone, doesn't she? Anyway, hope you weren't embarrassed by this morning's article—I wonder who told them anyway? There must be someone out to get you, huh, Hina-chan? Can't help but wonder why."

"Um…", Hinata couldn't think of anything else to say. Her legs were on the verge of collapsing, and tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She felt a soft hand wrap around her shoulder and a voice saying, "Why don't you just mind your own beeswax, Haruno? You're just jealous of her, that's all."

"Why, you!" Sakura pointed an accusing figure at the person standing next to Hinata, "You'll regret that!"

"Suuure," the girl beside Hinata answered, "I can take you any day."

With a scream of frustration, Sakura stomped away, not even bothering to walk in the fancy model stride from earlier. Her group followed her, some comforting her and others shooting evil glares at the trio.

Hinata looked at the person beside her and gasped. It was the girl who had delivered the Gabbler that morning! The girl extended a friendly hand and introduced herself, "I'm TenTen, Hinata, " throwing a condescending look at the departing figure, "and that was your own personal taste of what jealousy can do to someone. Just to let you know, there's tons of us out there who will support you, so don't be afraid of Haruno. Want to get a latté or something?"

"I-it's," Hinata felt Naruto's glare burning into the side of her head, "I m-mean, th-thanks…"

"That's great! C'mon, let's go!"

TenTen dragged Hinata out of the crowd and headed for Starbucks. Hinata looked back to see Naruto give a little friendly wave before heading off in the opposite direction. She had no choice but to watch where she was going as her new acquaintance dragged her to their destination. The low hum of the crowd was following them all the way until it was suddenly cut off.

A crisp, clear voice belonging to someone standing in front of Hinata said, "Hello, Hinata, I don't believe we've met before."

It was Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Sorry for the late update! Partly b/c of my slow writing and me finally getting a beta-reader. There were some 'technical' difficulties, but it'll work out fine. Thanks to DreamedSong for the beta! Plz review!**

**moonlight haku**


	4. Enter, Sasuke Uchiha!

_** A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Hinata stumbled back a few steps from shock. She felt Tenten's usually confident hands faltering a bit when she caught her. However, that didn't change the fact that Sasuke Uchiha was standing right in front of her. The Sasuke Uchiha. His cold smile scared the living daylights out of her and she couldn't understand what girls found so attractive about this cold block of ice. She was willing to bet that he had been enjoying the little show that Haruno had instigated earlier.

"What do you want?" Tenten's strong voice brought Hinata out of her daze, "You don't have any business here, Uchiha."

"Of course I do," a crooked smile appeared on his pale visage, "this is the girl that the news article mentioned with my name. I think that I have the right to…get to know her. If there's anyone that has no business here, it's you, Tenten-san."

"I'm afraid that you'll have to leave, Uchiha." Tenten's voice suddenly appeared to be hardened, "I'm just getting to know a new friend."

"A new friend that has just shot up into fame, a worthy ally should you ever come to trouble, I say," he retorted back.

"If that's all you're going to say, we'll be going now, Uchiha." Tenten jerked Hinata away from the quiet crowd. She sent an extra glare back at the Uchiha to confirm her statement. But it seemed to carry no weight, for when Hinata looked back, his arrogant smile was still attached in his face when he turned around and walked away.

"Um...I'm s-sorry, Tenten-san," Hinata felt that she apologize for the encounter. She hung her head low and stared at her feet miserably. She felt a firm hand stop her and Tenten's comforting voice reprimanding her.

"It's not your fault that you received that jerk for your date, Hinata." She continued," Honestly, I have no idea why you high school girls even like him. He's so emotionless and all he has is a pretty face! There are way cuter people when you get into college, I can guarantee that!"

"Th-thanks…", Hinata smiled slowly and raised her eyes to looked ahead. "Isn't that Starbucks? Let's go Tenten-chan."

With a partially forced smile, Hinata walked arm in arm with her new friend into the acclaimed coffee shop.

Sasuke Uchiha was quietly seething behind the composed mask of a face that he had carefully cultivated over the years. That Tenten person had stood up to him without hesitation—no wonder he seemed to find college girls so unattractive. If they were all as blockheaded as that girl, why should he even find them amusing?

Even that Hyuuga didn't give him the satisfaction he anticipated. Although on the outside, she resembled a scared rabbit, he could see hidden strength underneath those blank white irises. Maybe he could just leave her sniveling at the dance and go find someone actually sexy and appealing. There was always the option to force her into not going, then it wouldn't look bad when the Gabbler write its yearly tribute to the King of Hearts ball.

The Uchiha's eyes caught a flash of blond hair in the distance before it disappeared. 'Hn,' he thought, 'probably that idiot Uzumaki or that annoying conniver of a Yamanaka. It's not important anyway,' he deducted, 'and I need a nap.'

* * *

"Okay, here's your sleeping bag, pillow, tooth—"

"Naruto!" Hinata lamented, "You're not my mother the last time I checked. Why do you care so much?!"

"It's your first sleepover," Naruto replied while handing a T-shirt to Hinata, "I just want to make sure you have a good time. You deserve it."

Hinata's pearly eyes softened, "Thanks. I guess I am a bit nervous since it's my first time…Do you think they'll like me?"

"Of course, you're the best friend anyone could ever have," Naruto smiled coyly, "under all that shyness, of course."

"I'm working on it!" Hinata slapped his shoulder playfully and hoisted the bag on her shoulders. Looking around, she clapped her hands and said, "Well, I think that's it. Bye Naruto, and don't ransack my fridge while I'm out, 'kay?"

"Bye—hey! I'm not like Chouji!"

Hinata giggled as she heard Naruto's realization at what she just said. A few minutes later, she was standing in front of the entrance to the Valentino building and she was getting second thoughts. First of all, from what she could gather, there were going to be a lot of people there. And all of them would be ultra-popular—there would probably be a Gabbler article in the slumber party tomorrow. Could she really risk making headlines again?

"Hey! Hinata! Wait up!" A familiar voice called from far behind her. Hinata whirled around to see Naruto running toward her.

He was waving a purple bag and a towel in his hands.

"You," he tried to say in between breaths, "forgot…your…towel…and stuff."

Hinata gingerly took the objects from his hands and patted him on the back. "Thanks for bringing these," she smiled, "What would I do without you?"

Then, in a bold act that surprised both of them, she stood up on her toes and kissed him chastely on the cheek. Before he could say anything, she opened the double doors and let herself into the slumber party that she'd never ever forget.

Of course, she never saw Naruto turn beet red with a silly, possibly love-struck grin on his face when she left.

* * *

"Truth or dare?"

"Um…" Tenten tapped her chin decisively as she thought it over, "..truth!"

Ino's eyes glinted evilly, "Okay…is it true that you and Neji Hyuuga hooked up?"

"Hey!" Tenten looked around at the group of girls all staring intently at her, "Don't ask me that!"

"Neji…?" Hinata whispered to herself. Wasn't that her cousin? The cousin that she spent summers with as a child and saw a year go at his high school graduation?

"I didn't know…", Hinata continued to say to herself. Suddenly she realized that everyone was staring at her as she said those words. Her face flushed and she tried to hide her face in a pillow.

"Spill," a dirty blond four-pigtailed college student said, "What do you know about Neji Hyuuga?"

"Um…he's my cousin," Hinata bit her bottom lip nervously, still not feeling comfortable with the pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Really?! Oh my gosh, you're the student body president's cousin?! How come you never told anyone?" Ino exclaimed while slowly inching forward.

"W-well, it's not important…", Hinata stuttered, "B-besides, I haven't seen him s-since last y-year."

"Still! I can believe that you're in the same family! Are you rich too?" Ino's clear blue eyes widened.

"I-I…"

"Ino!" Tenten smacked the back of Ino's head, "Don't force it out of her! If she wants to talk, she will! Leave it."

"Fine," Ino turned her attention back to Tenten, "So…did you or did you not hook up with Neji Hyuuga?"

Hinata sighed as all the attention was finally turned away from her. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha looked out the balcony of his dorm while the light breeze caressed his soft hair.

For some strange reason, that encounter with the Hyuuga girl and Tenten was on instant replay in his mind. It wouldn't be weird if his mind was more focused on Tenten; she stood up to him after all. But no, he just couldn't take his mind off the Hyuuga standing slightly behind the tall stature Tenten. He just couldn't make up his mind on if her white eyes looked blank and unmoving or if they held a tint of lavender and held back terrible pain.

It was already three in the morning, but he just couldn't stop thinking about those eyes. Those pearly, translucent eyes that held so much suffering in them just kept appearing whenever he closed his eyes. They reminded him of something, or maybe someone. Who was it? He turned around slowly, shaking his head from side to side and walked back into his dorm.

Behind him, the crescent moon rose bright and gleaming in the sky above the quiet rustling of the lakeside trees.

Meanwhile, Naruto was still in shock.

Or rather, maybe he was in love.

He felt like slapping himself at the thought. Hinata-chan was his best friend! Someone that he could trust and confide all his thoughts in. She knew him through and through, knew about everything he ever did and probably will do. That kind of knowing will only result in friendship—love? Impossible. He must be an idiot for thinking that.

But he just couldn't help himself.

Why didn't he see it before? He had loved her the day that he met her under the shade of the apple trees.

* * *

_A little girl, maybe six or seven at the most, was sitting quietly under the apple trees in a local park. Children were laughing and playing all around her, yet none came close to her. Maybe it was her blank white eyes, slowly dripping silent tears down her unnaturally pale face. Maybe it was short, violet-black hair surrounding her face. Either way, she was alone, shy and no one paid any attention to her. They had caring friends, a loving family and an impossibly carefree life. How could they possibly understand her?_

_However, one day, a skin-tanned blond boy slowly approached her. He reached out his hand and smiled brightly, "Hi. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, who're you?"_

_She looked up slowly in amazement and replied softly, "H-Hinata H-Hyuug-ga…"_

"_Why're you sittin' here all the time? Don't you want to play, Hinata?"_

_She looked out at the running children and said in a surprisingly cold voice, "No. Th-they have n-nothing to d-do with me."_

_Her red-rimmed eyes shifted back to him, as if challenging him to run away; just like so many others had done. But he scratched the back of his head, a trademark she would come to love, and replied, "Gee, isn't that a sad way of lookin' at everything? It's a nice day and all the flowers are awake. Don't you want to climb this tree?"_

"_I-I don't kn-know how…", Hinata followed his gaze to the highest branches of the tree. When she turned around, he had stepped behind her and climbed up the tree as swiftly as a monkey. She saw him pick a large blossom off with his hands and drop down onto the ground. He brushed the dirt and grass off of his clothes and handed the flower to her. She gasped and plucked it gingerly from his hands._

"_A-arigatou, N-Naruto," she smiled for the first time. "I-it's really pr-pretty."_

"_Look! Isn't that much better? You look beautiful when you smile, Hinata!" Naruto grinned crookedly. He held out a hand to her again, "Wanna climb the tree with me?"_

"_I—", Hinata began._

"_Oh yeah! I'm so stupid! C'mon," Naruto grasped her hand. "I'll teach you everything!"_

"A-arigatou, Naruto-kun…"

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh noes! How will Hinata solve this problem? Don't worry guys, this will still be SasuHina at the end. Please bear with me for the next few chapters (NaruHina isn't something I've ever written, and I don't really like it either.) Plz Review! **

**Thanks for the beta, DreamedSong!**

**moonlighthaku**


	5. Remembering Your Eyes

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

With the sky only beginning to light, Hinata Hyuuga rose.

She brushed her hair and tied it back carefully on a ponytail before gingerly stepping over the other bodies rolled over one another, sleep talking or snoring softly. Taking a bundle of clothes, she stepped into the bathroom to take a shower and change. After taking a quick cold shower, she exited the still dorm room quietly to go for a walk.

Her silvery eyes were tracing along the thin contours of the wispy clouds that were just beginning to become visible when another figure caught her attention. She gasped and quickly hid behind a wall when the person walked near. She knew who that person was, but she was _desperately_ hoping that she was wrong. Of course, like any curious person, she peeked at the edge of the wall and suppressed a groan. She wasn't wrong.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Again.

The only thing that she needed on a nice peaceful normal walk was Sasuke Uchiha. Her fist was centimeters from punching the wall before her brilliantly insightful brain reminded:

A) Hitting a brick-and-plaster wall hurts, B) hurting would make you yell loudly and finally, C) crying aloud would give you away.

And giving herself away was the last thing that Hinata had on her mind. The almost silent footsteps got closer and closer as Hinata's heart seemed the almost jump right out of her chest. All the blood rushed up to her face because she was sure that everyone on the monstrous-sized campus would be able to hear her thudding heartbeat.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped right next to Hinata.

--

--

-

Sasuke Uchiha was out on a morning walk—or more precisely, nearing the end of his whole-night walk. Insomnia can do strange things to someone, particularly if one insignificant girl caused his insomnia. It bothered him that the usual flow of his mind seemed to be blocked by something, like how river is blocked by a dam. Every time he tried to remember where he'd seen those pale eyes before, his mind seemed to reject that train of thought. It irritated him more that it bothered him especially now that the King of Hearts ball was only 11 days away. Approximately 264 hours, more or less.

He heard a faint gasping and the sound of a skirt rustling as he walked along the cafeteria wall. Probably some random walking along the street, he mused. Anyhow, it wasn't his business to pry in. Maybe wandering around all night had made a bit paranoid, but he could have sworn that he just felt a pair of eyes stare at him. Not adoringly or worshipfully.

These eyes were apprehensive, panicked and…familiar.

He stopped right in his tracks as he turned around and stared quizzically at the wall. It wasn't just the eyes; he could feel a wave of paranoia coming from that wall, a wave of panic. It was unsettling; almost making him want to turn around and run back to his dorm. He turned around and step but immediately stopped again. He turned around with wide, possibly frightened eyes….was this…the scent of apple flowers?

--

--

-

Hinata almost breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his eyes turn away from her. But then he seemed to stop again look back—this time, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Who are you?" he whispered softly, but loud enough for her to hear.

She gulped and stepped out of the shadows behind the wall, "I'm Hinata Hyuuga."

When their eyes met, the whole earth seemed to stop spinning. It wasn't like time stopped or froze; it was like time…disappeared. All the surroundings blended together and the sounds of birds chirping silenced.

For a second, it was only them…and bits and pieces of a past neither of them remembered.

--

--

-

_A pair of onyx black eyes looked apathetically at the black leather seats before him. The windows beside him were tinted so no one could peek in and no one inside could look out either. At age five, his short legs didn't even reach the carpeted floor in the car. Yet, unlike a normal child, his legs didn't swing, neither did his fingers fidget. In fact, he seemed to be the exact model of his brother, calm, collected and utterly bored. When the door was swung open by their chauffeur and their limo taken to be parked by a valet, he stepped on the long velvet carpet with the rest of his family._

_That bored, dead look was still on his face as he did all this. If someone had been watching from afar, they couldn't have guessed that he was only five, despite the chubby cheeks and childish figure. He was composed and quiet, not even reacting to his prestigious surroundings until another family stood before him._

_While his father and the other person discussed something in low tones, he couldn't help but notice the pale little girl hiding behind the person his father was talking to. His mouth turned slightly upward in a grin when she gasped and looked down when he stared at her. Spots of red appeared on her cheeks and her fingers were fidgeting nervously. Her glossy black-blue hair shined in the bright lights and her half-closed eyes seemed to have a faraway look._

_That little boy couldn't help but stare and stare at her throughout the whole meeting. Another boy, a bit older than him seemed to glance irritated at his direction once, but that was it. When it was all over, the five-year-old was in a better mood and his cheeks flushed a bit when the other girl waved at him when they departed._

_He got into the car quietly as always, except that now, he had something to think about. His elder brother's soft, velvety voice interrupted his hurried train of thoughts._

_"That Hyuuga heir sure caught your eye, ne, Sasuke-kun? She'll be quite the flower when she grows up. Too bad she belongs to me."_

_She was his brother's, he realized and concluded, nothing more than that._

--

--

-

_She belongs to my brother…._Sasuke thought with a dazed look on his mind. From early childhood, his brother never failed to acquire anything that he took any amount of interest in. And that was especially true with girls. Even though at that time, Itachi Uchiha was only eleven, it had always seemed like he grew up faster than any other eleven-year-old.

He remembered, or at least, remembered a bit. Now he knew why she looked so familiar, that joint discussion about a merger between Uchiha Inc. and Hyuuga Corps…she was the girl hiding behind her father. No wonder she left an impression on him, and no wonder his elder brother had claimed her that night. Since nothing else was discussed that night, it probably meant that it had been planned that the two companies would become connected by marriage.

Or rather, an arranged marriage between Itachi Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga.

Wonderful, I got my brother's promised bride for my blind date; he thought sarcastically, this is sure going to work out well.

"Um…Sasuke-san?" a hand suddenly waved in front of his vision. He stepped back and immediately felt his shoe step in something soft. He scowled at the girl in front of him and answered, "What do you want?"

"W-well, you w-were making w-weird faces," her face flushed over, "You stepped in dog cra—…something."

He looked back and it was true, his custom-made sneakers were sunk in a large, smelly pile of dog crap.

"Oh crap!" he muttered angrily, he would slaughter the dog that left this particularly disgusting present for his foot to step in!

"I-if you want, I-I could c-clean that f-for you," the voice got even quieter, " I-if y-you want, I m-mean."

He looked up and scowled again, "Fine."

--

--

-

Hinata brushed back the stray lock of hair and resumed scrubbing the underside of the shoe. The brown mushy stuff was gone, but the shoe had a long way to go before it started smelling normal. She'd already tried putting smashed tomatoes on it, perfume, air freshener, and even dipping it in melted chocolate.

As she tried to scrub the smell away, she didn't notice that a dark head of hair poked in a few times.

Sasuke Uchiha was relaxing on the white leather sofa with all the lavender pillows pushed to the opposite side. It was almost as comfortable as his chair back in the dorm, but only almost. Things made by Hyuuga Corps could never be better than anything his brother's company made, or at least, that's what he'd been taught. But this couch was making it exceedingly hard to keep that train of thought.

A jumble of quiet clattering, clanging and whirring came from the bathroom and kitchen. For a while, it had smelled like tomatoes and chocolate mixed in with a bunch of different scents. It was almost…mouthwatering.

A little known fact: Sasuke Uchiha loved tomatoes.

To tell the truth, he would much rather receive tomatoes for Valentines Day and Christmas then chocolate. But how embarrassing would that be? So to satisfy his curiosity, he had poked his head in a couple of times.

He decided to look again and retrieve his poor shoes before she did anything drastic to them.

He winced slightly when he saw Hinata scrubbing away at his white sneakers with a pile of smashed tomatoes and splatters of melted chocolate beside her. He took note that when her sleeves were rolled up, it showed skin of ivory complexion without any blemishes. Her hair shined in the fluorescent light and her cheeks were flushed from trying to hard.

But despite all that, she looked happy.

Relieved that she hadn't destroyed his shoes yet, he began to turn away when the doorbell suddenly rang. He heard a loud gasp from Hinata and saw her wiping her soapy hands off quickly while running out of the bathroom. Unluckily, she forgot about the ledge and pitched over.

In what seemed like a pure reaction, Sasuke immediately caught her around the waist. Or at least he tried to catch her. She was a lot heavier than she looked. Her hand reached around his arms and he yelped when he was pulled down with her. In all the confusion, Hinata was pinned down to the ground by Sasuke Uchiha in a rather…unlikely manner when the mahogany door swung open.

This was definitely going to be surprising.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Surprise! Don't worry, that little bit of the past won't cause too much trouble yet. Don't overthink it. I wonder who's coming in? It's going to be awkard XD. Plz Review!**

**Beta- DreamedSong**

**moonlight haku**


	6. Recognization of a Goddess

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

There was total and complete silence as the door swung open.

"OH MY FREAKIN' GOD, HINATA-NEE-CHAN!!"

"HINATA?!"

"H-HANABI?! N-NEJI?!"

"MY EYES!! MY EYES!! THEY BURN!!" without even closing the door, Hinata's little sister ran like the wind while Neji just stood there in shock.

Hinata's face was completely red and she was wondering just how she could explain this to her father and her cousin. Sasuke, meanwhile, was confused; not about the reaction, but who one of the people who had the reaction was. She looked to be about eleven or twelve with features remarkably similar to Hinata's. And 'Hinata-nee-chan'? What was that all about?

"U-um, can you get off me…?"

"Huh?" Sasuke looked down and immediately realized their awkward position, "Augh!"

He rolled off and scrambled to his feet. Hinata got up on her hands and laughed nervously as her eyes darted between her furious cousin and her new 'acquaintance'. She tried to smile and introduce them, "U-um, Neji…th-this is S-Sasuke U-Uchiha-san—"

"What is he doing here, Hinata?!" Neji pointed a finger at the now indignant Uchiha.

"What do you mean, what?! Is it ill—", Sasuke began, but was cut off by Neji again.

"Don't you dare lay another finger on my cousin, Uchiha," Neji cracked his knuckles, "Or else I'll make sure you'll die the slowest, most horrible death ever…"

"What makes you think that I would ever do that?!" Sasuke argued, "I hardly even know her!"

"Are you trying to say I'm wrong?" Neji glared at the raven-haired man.

Hinata glanced back and forth between them anxiously. It was true that they had been in an awkward position—and some people might have thought they were doing something. She stood there, wringing her fingers nervously and wondering what had brought her cousin and sister here. Wasn't Neji supposed to be busy with student council and her sister, well, busy doing whatever kids do?

"You think you're never wrong, Hyuuga?" Sasuke retorted back.

"Never wrong about," Neji looked down his sharp nose, "the likes of you, Uchiha."

"What do you have against—"; Hinata interrupted Sasuke just as he started to reply.

"P-please stop arguing, Neji-nii-san. I-it's true, I-I was just w-washing his shoe af-after…h-he got it 'dirty'," Hinata stopped after seeing Sasuke smirk a little at this comment, she turned to Sasuke and whispered, "H-he's your sempai, U-uchiha-san. P-please re-respect him…a bit?" The end turned into a question when she felt that Sasuke glared at Neji as the other smirked again.

"Hn," Sasuke crossed his arms and turned away.

"Hn," Neji crossed his arms too and turned the other way.

Hinata would've almost giggled at how identical they looked if it weren't for the tense atmosphere that it created. She straightened her features into the emotionless default expression of a proper Hyuuga and hesitantly reached out a hand to her furious cousin. He almost flinched at her touch, but then pulled her closer to him.

"What were you thinking, Hinata?" Neji whispered into the crook of her neck.

"It's true, Neji. We really weren't doing anything…" Hinata gulped nervously.

He let go of her after murmuring, "Be careful around that Uchiha; I haven't heard you stutter so much in the past four years."

With narrowed eyes his glared at the male across the room from him. Hinata could see a nerve tightening along Sasuke's smooth ivory neck. His longs slender fingers reached up to scratch a spot absently as he apparently waited for the cousins to remember that he was in the room. Through his lowered eyelids, he studied Hinata Hyuuga from the corners of his eyes.

Like him, her complexion was flawless and pale as ivory, but her skin retained the pure innocence of snow while his just seemed a bit unnatural. Her hair was deeper in color and gave off an indigo shine instead of the hard blue shine that his raven hair gave off. With her cheeks still lightly pink and white silvery opal eyes, she almost seemed like a goddess as she conversed quietly with her cousin.

Gods, he thought under his long lashes, I'm just realizing this now?

He didn't realize that the almost silent conversation was over until he heard Neji's unapproved grunt. Sasuke didn't care however; he looked over calmly in the direction of the pair. His eyes settled on Hinata's slightly flushed cheek while his words were directed to Neji, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"It's none of your business Uchiha," Neji replied in an icy voice, "I would appreciate it if you left. immediately."

"Fine," Sasuke held up his hands humorously, "It's not like I wanted to stay anyway."

Without a second glance, he walked through the open doorway and left. Neji waited until he heard the affirming sound of the main entrance door closing and then looked at his fragile cousin again. She's lost weight, he noted, wondering who he should punish for that.

"Why are you here, Neji?" Hinata repeated Sasuke's question in a more polite form. Neji coughed and smiled, "What? I'm not allowed to visit my favorite cousin once in a while?"

Hinata blushed and whispered, "Well, I heard that you were really busy and you got a new girlfriend—"

Neji's face turned red at the mention of the word 'girlfriend' and almost shouted through clenched teeth, "Who the hell told you that?!"

"Huh?" Hinata cocked her head to the side," I heard Ino-chan say something about—"

"I knew it!" flames were burning in his white eyes, "I knew that gossip couldn't be trusted!"

Hinata patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and went to close the door since some passer bys had already gathered when they heard Neji's outburst. She thrust a glass of mineral water at him and pushed him down gently on the couch. Sitting across from him on the wood coffee table, she continued, "It's okay, Ten-chan didn't reveal anything though. Besides, what's so bad about having a girlfriend?"

"Nothing, I suppose," Neji admitted with his head between his knees, "But it was supposed to be a secret! Now it's probably be going all over the Gazette!"

"It's alright," Hinata picked up a crumpled version of the mentioned newspaper, tossing it to her cousin and saying glumly, "Have you seen the latest rage recently?"

When Neji's eyes scanned over it quickly, a thick vein started to bulge on his temple. His hands clenched the paper so hard it ripped and Hinata flinched when he started to speak through gritted teeth, "I thought that you weren't involved with him! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ALL ABOUT?? And Uzumaki, what exactly is happening?! I knew that it was a bad idea to let him get so close to you!"

"Shhh," Hinata clamped her hand over her cousin's mouth, "Be quiet. The walls are thin here, what if they hear you?"

When he calmed down enough to revert back the default Hyuuga face, she coughed and said in an attempt to change the subject, "Why did you come here anyway, Neji?"

Neji blinked a few times and fixed the hair that came out from the ponytail behind him, he seemed almost embarrassed to break the news to her. Hinata started to chew nervously on her bottom lips as he struggled to convey whatever he had been sent here to say.

Finally, after a long moment of silence, he started, "Hiashi-sama sent me here today because he was busy with business negotiations. I was startled at how quick everything was going and he told me that it would be best to tell you soon. The fact is that your marriage date is set. I knew already that you would be married off to increase the influence of Hyuuga Corps…but it was disturbing who the match was."

He turned to Hinata and almost whispered, "Hiashi-sama said that on the day of your twenty-first birthday, you are to be wed to Itachi Uchiha in order to merge the Hyuuga and Uchiha companies and thus increase our overall control on the economy. Congratulations Hinata, you'll become the key part of a break in history and the richest woman in the world."

Hinata's face drained of all its color. She started to tremble and suddenly, it was Neji's turn to comfort his crumbling cousin. Her eyes refused to close as she tried to make whatever came out of Neji's mouth disappear from her mind.

"_Hiashi-sama said that on the day of your twenty-first birthday, you are to be wed to Itachi Uchiha in order to merge the Hyuuga and Uchiha companies and thus increase our overall control on the economy. Congratulations Hinata, you'll become the key part of a break in history and the richest woman in the world…."_

"…_you are to be wed to Itachi Uchiha…"_

_Itachi Uchiha_…

A cheerful knock came from the door, and a bubbly voice proclaimed, "Gazette delivery!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And there it is. Haha! Nobody got it completely right, well, except for the few that said Neji. But who would've thought Hanabi was there?! She's going to be important though. And just to clarify, this is a **SasuHina**, not a NaruHina. Even though some reviewers wish it was, or were wondering, **it's not going to change pairings.** Plz review!

Beta: DreamedSong

moonlight haku

* * *


	7. Whispers of Troublesome Love

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

After seeing her sister and some boy in such an awkward position, Hanabi flew out of the dormitory building. She had tagged along with Neji when he entered the high school sect with some news for her sister. Now she regretted coming; who would've thought that they'd have walked in while Hinata was doing the nasty?!

"Omigoshomigoshomigosh,' Hanabi was reciting under her breath like a mantra as she ran for her dorm room. Without looking as where she was going, she crashed into someone else. Looking up from the ground, she realized that those blue eyes and blond hair looked familiar to her eyes. The man looked down at her for a second, hesitating before pulling her up to her feet.

"Hey, "he scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, wasn't looking where I was going. I'm Naruto Uzumaki—"

"Oh my gosh, Naruto Uzumaki!" Hanabi remembered who he was now, "If you're going to see Hinata, I wouldn't exactly…" she fidgeted, "think it's the right idea right now."

"What?" his clear blue eyes filled with concern, "did something happen?"

"Well, all I have to say is that I hope they use protection!" Hanabi blurted out with her face burning red before running off again. Naruto looked after her before the intended meaning of that sentence pinged nastily into his head. Use protection…? Slowly, his face turned from pale to pink to steaming red and the start of a nosebleed started to appear. He set off at a more hurried pace to Hinata's dorm building, fervently hoping that his own deduction was totally off the mark.

Meanwhile, a certain Uchiha had been watching from a near distance. However, he smirked and licked his lips deviously; _using protection_ when with Hinata Hyuuga was certainly what he would try to do in the future—if they weren't too _busy_ at that particular moment.

* * *

**Cherry Blossom Replaced With Lavender Petals?!**

** Hinata Hyuuga,** a third-year in the senior high school sect of this prestigious Leaf Academy attended Ino Yamanaka's annual slumber party. Fact: Sakura Haruno, president and founder of the CBGR (Cherry Blossoms for the Glamorous and Regal), was not invited. Since Miss Yamanaka and Miss Haruno's friendship had lasted throughout all the grades of Leaf Academy, it was never expected that they would separate at the last moment. Is previously unknown Hinata Hyuuga really able to replace the hole that Sakura Haruno left?

However, our reporters have been able to find more information about Hinata Hyuuga's past. Fact: it seems that she was not as unimportant as most of us thought. She is the heiress to the multi-billion dollar Hyuuga Corps company and she has a net worth of about 425.9 billion-yen. Her cousin, Neji Hyuuga is the student body president and national karate champion. Her sister, Hanabi Hyuuga is the captain of the archery team in the middle school sect of Leaf Academy. Although Hinata Hyuuga's accomplishments are not as glittery and recognized, it was found that she placed first in the national young writers and poets competition and has won multiple prizes at beauty pageants at a young age. Her profile also features several important media appearances. (See more of her history on page 4).

It seems that although Hinata Hyuuga was unrecognized before, her talents and connections have well prepared her for the high society at Leaf Academy. Sakura Haruno has earned herself a daunting rival in both love life (Relationship between Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga? Page 8) and in society. We at the GGATSGGC (Glam, Glitter and All Things Sparkly Girls Glee Club) will keep you update on this hot topic!

Hinata fell to the couch in a slump. No wonder that delivery girl had gazed at her so differently when she answered the door. Now she knew that was admiration and wonder in her eyes. She felt a hand touch her lightly on the shoulder; Neji probably knew exactly what she had been going through. She turned around and put her head on his shoulder and started to cry softly. She felt him jerk with surprise, but after a second's hesitation, she heard him sigh and wrap his arms around her.

Of course, she didn't know how red his cheeks were. Or the X-rated images flashing through his head.

The door slammed open and Naruto Uzumaki entered. His eyes were closed and he shouted, "Get your clothes on people, I'm here!"

"You baka!" Neji whispered angrily at him, furious that Naruto had the nerve to barge in. Naruto took one look at the position the cousins were in and screamed, "Oh my god! You're really going to do the nasty—on a couch too!"

Neji was shaking by now, and his pale features were turning red.

"You fucking IDIOT! Just WHAT did you mean by that VULGAR sentence of yours, JACKASS?!" he pointed at Hinata, "DID you just IMPLY that I would do something like THAT with my own COUSIN?!"

"Eh?!" Naruto looked at Hinata's now raised face and compared it in his mind to Neji's face, "Now you mention it, you two do have the same eyes. I definitely see the resemblance!"

When he noticed two really angry and bloodthirsty Hyuugas glaring at him, chuckled nervously and backed away slowly. He pointed at the door and stammered nervously, "Um, it w-wasn't my fault! Some g-girl that looked like you guys told me th-that. Um…please don't kill me!"

He then scrambled for the door and ran out in the hallway. The two fuming cousins heard his heavy, clopping footsteps and the frantic slamming of the dorm building's door. Then Hinata looked down at the tearstains and Chap Stick residue on her cousin's shirt and gasped, "I got your shirt dirty—take it off, I'll wash it!"

"Eh?" twin spots of red appeared on Neji's face, "A-are you sure about that?! I mean—"

"We're cousins, for pete's sake," Hinata cocked her head up for a moment, "Unless you're more of a hentai than I thought you were."

"What?" Neji scowled, "A hentai?! How could—"

"So you're not?" Hinata stared at him for a second, "Wow, I thought all men were perverts. Well, since you aren't, then what's the problem? C'mon!"

Before he could protest, Hinata pulled his gray T-shirt over his head and ran for the bathroom. She pinched his cheek playfully and said, "See? That wasn't too bad." As she left for the bathroom, Neji closed the open door and crossed his arms in front his now exposed chest. Most girls weren't as bold with him as Hinata was. Then, most girls weren't Hinata. He thought of her extremely innocent thoughts and how warm she felt when she'd cried on his shoulders a few minutes before. Then he thought of how she pinched him on the cheek and he caught a whiff of her apple blossom scented perfume. He felt thoughts that had disappeared from his head when Naruto rushed in rise to his brain again.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Naruto was still on the run.

He slowed down near the perimeters of the Academy and clutched a tree to catch his breath. It wasn't exactly his fault when he'd made that assumption. He couldn't stop the building jealousy in his chest—in all this time, Hinata had never cried on his shoulder. He couldn't erase that embarrassed and smug look on her cousin's face. He was clearly going to do something sooner or later.

Man, he laid his head on the tree trunk, it's a good thing she doesn't act like that around everyone—then no one could resist falling for her. He slammed his hand onto the tree, it seemed that she was getting prettier and more irresistible by the second—and he had no way to tell her.

* * *

On his luxury high-rise balcony, Sasuke Uchiha was leaning on the wall while reading the latest issue of the Gazette. It was a bit disturbing how good they were at doing their job—finding information and all that crap. He pictured her face twisted in tears and agony, then dismissed that image; it wasn't a good look for her. However, he thought, it would be interesting to see if her fighting skills are up to par with her cousin's. He tossed the thick paper onto the glass table next to him and sighed.

The image of her sweet and innocent face while washing his shoes was on instant replay in his mind. He looked down at his feet—crap, he didn't notice that he'd walked in socks all the way back to his dorm. Then an idea crawled into his idea, Hinata Hyuuga would have to come and return the shoe sooner or later. That made one more chance of meeting her before the ball.

That made just one more chance of making her belong to him.

Sasuke dismissed the whisper of a strange, aching feeling in the depths of his heart and left for his room to nap.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Thanks so much for over 100 reviews! I was so happy—it was literally unbelievable. I whipped up a little thank-you picture for you reviewers, the link is on my profile. And believe it or not, this fanfiction will still end as a SasuHina. Please Review!

**Beta: DreamedSong**

moonlight haku

* * *


	8. That Which Has Been Broken

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Hinata looked up at the daunting door to room 69U of the Paradox boys' dormitory building and gulped.

It was unsettling enough to be in a building with hundreds of hormone-high boys within the closed doors—she's never even been in Naruto's room before. However, it was another thing altogether to be right in front of the infamous Sasuke Uchiha's door. It wasn't her fault, at least, not directly. Sasuke had just left his shoes at her room and she was coming to return it.

Harmless. Right?

Timidly, she reached up to knock on the door, but put her shaking fist down again. _Maybe_, she thought desperately, _I'll just leave it here, and then he'll get it later. Maybe I can give it to Ino or Sakura,_ she looked at the mahogany door, _they'll be thrilled for an excuse to come_. _But then what if the news gets out that I was here—_Suddenly, she heard loud male guffawing and the door clicking open just down the hall. She looked at the door, terrified that someone else might see her, and without thinking, she grasped the doorknob and turned it.

Not at all surprisingly, the door to 69U swung open and she tumbled to the beige-colored carpet covering the floor. It wasn't the soft, fluffy kind of carpet people can sleep on all day; it was that rock hard type that was easy to vacuum and littered your body with bruises if you fell on it. It hurt—_a lot_. Stifling a yelp, Hinata got up on her knees and quickly closed the door. She grabbed the pair of shoes and went to find someplace to set it on.

She was terrified.To sum it all up, she'd just broken into Sasuke Uchiha's apartment uninvited and was trespassing with every step she took. She shuddered to think what would happen if the paparazzi reporters for the Gazette heard of this. She could just see the headlines the next day, **'Hinata Turns Up at Sasuke's Door! What Will Happen?'.**

Her trembling eyes darted back and forth, taking in the unfamiliar room laid out in front of her. It was simple; the wallpaper had the customary red-and-white Uchiha symbol imprinted over and over again on it. A table was pushed into a corner with two chairs set stiffly next to it. The plasma TV set was against another wall with white vases on each side and a vacuum cleaner was shoved into a corner with the cord wrapped neatly around the hooks on the sides. There was the standard glass lights and ceiling fan and the large floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the half-circle balcony. On the ledge over the TV were picture frames with more than one turned down so the picture was hidden. A reclining chair was set in the middle of the room with a glass coffee table parallel to it.

And on the reclining chair was Sasuke Uchiha.

Hinata walked around gingerly, careful not to disturb the sleeping person. He probably fell asleep reading something, she surmised. His glasses were slightly crooked and a thick book was still on his chest. With each shallow breath, his chest rose and fell a few centimeters. The hair that she noticed that he carefully styled everyday was mussed, but seemed to have a few natural spikes in the back. _Kind of like a chicken butt_, she giggled silently.

She bent down and set the shoes next to the white reclining chair, preparing to leave as soon as she was done. A letter with crisp, elegant kanji was folded up and crushed on the coffee table next to her. Although she was burning with curiosity, she kept her fingers close to her chest and smiled gently. A slender finger on his hand suddenly twitched, almost making her tumble back again in surprise. He didn't wake, though he shifted his body slightly and turned his head to the other side. Hinata got up on her knees and tried to keep from hyperventilating. She was sure by now that she should be going, but for some reason, her body wasn't exactly being obedient. Instead, she stepped around his sleeping form and craned her neck to look at the pictures set up on the ledge above the TV. They were mostly of big groups of stern unfamiliar men all in business suits. There was a family portrait right in the middle of them all. It consisted with a gentle-looking woman and a hard-set man sitting by her side. Two serious-looking boys, one was probably a few years older than the other was, were standing on either side. All of them shared the piercing stare, though, Hinata noted, the women's looked more inquisitive than demanding.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

"Oh!" Hinata whirled around and found Sasuke Uchiha less than one inch away from her. He wore that arrogant smirk and his smoldering black eyes seemed to be laughing at her. She lowered her eyes and mumbled, "I'm sorry…I'll leave now—"

"Why?"

She stared at him again, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"Well," he stepped back, "First you sneak into my room, then you walk around and then you look at my personal items. You think I'm just going to let you leave like that?"

"I ret-turned your sh-shoes," Hinata managed to choke out, "What do you want?"

"No need to be so frightened, I won't eat you," he gestured to the table in the left-hand corner, "Have a seat."

Then he turned around swiftly and walked to his bedroom. Hinata stood there, not knowing quite what to do. After a few seconds, she decided that it would be useless to run, and she pulled out a chair and sat down. A fine layer of dust covered the once-glamorous table and it was blocked completely from the light streaming in from the balcony. She sat there with her hands in her lap, trying to control the rapid beating of her heart. A slight sound of rummaging and cursing was heard from the bedroom and suddenly, Hinata wondered if he needed some help.

A few minutes later, he walked into the living room with an unopened box. He handed it to her, "Here, repayment for washing the shoes."

"What?" She almost scowled, "I-I don't really like chocolate."

"Same for me," he shrugged and threw the metal box at the table, "I prefer tomatoes myself. You?" He raised an eyebrow and sat down on the other chair.

Hinata sighed; apparently he was in a unusually talkative mood today.

"Apples," she tried to smile, but found that she couldn't, "Can I go now?"

"So eager to leave?"

"No!" She shook her head frantically, not wanting to be rude, "It's just that I have business to attend to."

"Something to do with Uzumaki, I presume?" Was that just a flash of anger that she'd seen in his eyes?

"Hai," Hinata replied stiffly, "he said he had something to tell me today."

"Can it wait?" He studied her again with those sharp obsidian eyes, "Or is it so important that you can't?"

"I-I," Hinata stuttered uselessly, trying to get away from that accusing look, "Think it can wait, if you really want."

"I do, very much," he leaned closer and Hinata's eyelashes were fluttering rapidly as a hot blush painted her pale face. She found one of his hands twirling a loose strand of hair next to her face as he whispered, "Who is Uzumaki to you?"

"A friend," she tried to think straight; a difficult task since he was barely two inches away from her. "The best friend that I ever had…"

"Enough to date him." That wasn't a question, just a straightforward, undermining statement as Sasuke moved in closer and stared intently into Hinata's silver eyes. His eyes showed a bit of underlying sorrow at his sentence. She gulped and tried to calm her now frantic pulse, which was nearly impossible with Sasuke's breath so near her neck.

"Hai…", she whispered, "I suppose, but why would he want me?"

Sasuke smirked at just how ignorant she seemed. He breathed in her floral scent and took in the hot blush that was occupying her face. Very, very slowly, he raised his head and brushed her lips with the lightest of kisses. For a second, she was completely still and then it all happened at once. Her hand was grasping his shirt tightly and he moved closer, deepening the kiss and closing the contact between his chest and hers. Her chest was heaving up and down and she was near trembling. When he lifted lips from hers softly, he could feel her stiffening immediately. Her half-closed eyes widened in horror and a hand flew up to her mouth. She struggled out of his grasp and ran out the door, "Naruto's w-waiting, g-goodbye…"

Behind her, Sasuke Uchiha wiped his lips and put his head in his hands again. _Naruto,_ he _slammed a fist on the table, it's always him…damn_.

* * *

Under the shade of the trees by the lake, Naruto Uzumaki stood there. Fidgeting. That was not a normal sight; Naruto Uzumaki being in such a nervous state. It was more likely that Hinata Hyuuga would display that type behavior. Perhaps it was ironic that he was nervous because of said girl. His sky blue eyes surveyed the sparkling lake—it was the perfect place for his confession. A couple of ducks were floating lazily on the water and large, gleaming koi fish were swimming around in large groups. He rubbed his throat as he cleared it and looked down to his almost trembling knees. He didn't get why he was so nervous.

Hinata wouldn't reject him. Right?

"Oh! Gomen nasai, Naruto! I was a bit…", she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "…preoccupied." She looked so flustered yet beautiful with strands of hair flying out of her messy bun and unusually rosy cheeks. Naruto looked up and smiled. This was the reason that he fell in love with her the first place. She was so beautiful, like a painting, except that it was alive and full of warmth. He moved forward to give her a customary head rub, but his hands froze halfway as he reached to touch her head.

She smelled…a bit different.

A strange, unfamiliar scent was weaved in with her usual floral smell. Something sharp and a bit fruity—something that smelled like a very expensive brand of cologne. Was it possible that Hinata Hyuuga had previous arrangements? He mentally slapped himself; there was no way that Hinata could get hooked up with anyone before telling him. She was his best friend!

"Uh…", a blush covered his face as he realized that Hinata's face was right in front of his, "Are you okay, Naruto? You look a bit…nervous."

"Well, that's probably just the…um, weather! Yeah," he cursed at himself for such a dumb excuse. However, she took the bait with no question at all. She smiled cheerfully and propped her hands on her hips, "So, what do you want? And why so formal?"

"Ah…um, I was just wondering," he cleared his throat, "If…if, you've picked out a dress for the ball yet!"

"Eh? That's it? That's the 'important emergency' that you were talking about?" She looked at him, bewildered. Then her mouth twisted into a sly grin, "Ohh…you wanted to talk to me about Haruno-san, right? Don't worry, Naruto, just be yourself—"

"That's not it!" He managed to blurt out. She just looked even more confused, so he ventured, "Um…the view is really something, huh?"

"The lake?" Her eyes left him and went to the sunlit lake, "I guess it's pretty…"

"That's—that's not it either," he took a deep breath, "What I really wanted to tell you that I really, really like you, Hinata! You're so beautiful, so nice and you're my best friend! Will—will you go out with me?"

There was complete silence when he finished. A random soda can blew by their feet as Hinata stared at him with shock in her pearly white eyes. Her mouth was slightly open and the color seemed to drain from her face in an instant. Naruto didn't dare to meet her eyes, fearing the rejection was sure to come. Instead, he grabbed her and clumsily crushed his lips on hers. He felt her struggle and try to push away, but that only provoked him to pull her more tightly to him.

Crack.

She'd slapped him backhanded.

He rubbed his cheek while she stood there, panting and her raised hand trembling violently. She stared at him, tears threatening to spill out. She wiped off her swollen lips and ran. Naruto just clenched his fist and closed his eyes as he watched her run. He touched his mouth lightly, the taste of her lips was still lingering on his tongue.

It was a taste of pure heaven.

* * *

The door swung open and Hinata Hyuuga collapsed onto her couch. _Why,_ was this happening to her?! First Sasuke then, Naruto…she still couldn't wrap her mind around what he'd said. How could he like her? She was his best friend and he was hers, they were more like brother and sister than lovers! She covered her mouth to muffle the awful sobs that were starting. Her chest was heaving and she was bent over while tears were pouring out of her eyes.

Her eyes were squeezed shut as she began coughing louder and louder in sucession. Trying to catch her breath, she breathed in deeply, only to interrupted by more wracking sobs. Why Naruto? They had such a perfect relationship and…and…he just had to go and ruin it with his stupid confession. There was no way that she could date him.

"_Who is Uzumaki to you?"_

"_A friend, the best friend that I'd ever had…"_

"_Enough to date him."_

"_Hai…"_

Just a few minutes ago she'd said that she would. And at that time, she'd sincerely meant it. She had thought that maybe, Naruto had really been Mr.Right. But why didn't she know anymore? What changed her emotions? Why did she feel so disgusted and just so wrong when Naruto had tried to kiss her? She remembered the way that Sasuke brushed her lips lightly, enough to send her heart into overdrive. About how her heart had started to thump and the feeling that came with the slight contact.

_Who was Sasuke Uchiha to her?_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Major development! And I'm tracking the number of days by Gazette issues…so we still have a lot to go. But I think that this fanfiction will end around 15 or so chapters. Read on!

PLz review!

moonlight haku

* * *


	9. Turning Away From the Light

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Hinata stayed curled up on her couch until nightfall. She heard Naruto knock on the door a couple of times, but she made no move to answer it. Angry, bitter thoughts ran through her head as she thought about how he forced himself on her. When the knocking gradually ceased, a fresh wave of pain and heartbreak ran over her mind. Naruto's hand reaching for the door and faltering…his guilty face, it was all too clear in Hinata's mind.

Just thinking about it brought on a new onslaught of tears.

Near midnight, she decided to drag herself out of bed and get some sleep. Obviously, it hadn't worked, as she surveyed her puffy red eyes in the morning. The sunlight was streaming into her room; she'd forgotten to close the curtains. It was only seven in the morning—two hours before the dreaded Gazette delivery. _I wonder what their main article will be about this time,_ she thought, _probably something horrible and embarrassing_… A light knock came from the living room.

Not even bothering to look in the mirror at her disheveled self, Hinata threw on a robe and ran out to answer the door .Maybe it was another eager delivery girl, maybe it as Naruto, maybe Neji to come visit again… her fingers froze just when her fingertips had brushed the doorknob—what if it was him? She could swear that it'd taken another minute to restart her heart after that thought. Her trembling fingers closed around the metal knob and turned. It swung open.

"Hello." A pair of smoldering, obsidian eyes looked down at her.

"Of course…" she whispered. And Hinata's mind fell off the cliff that it had been clinging desperately for the last twelve hours. Everything started to go dark. That last thing she saw before the darkness overwhelmed her was Sasuke's widened eyes and something unintelligible spouting out of his mouth. Then everything went black.

_Hinata?_

_She looked around. It was bright all around her. There was an obtrusive gray tree in the midst of all the white mist surrounding her. There was no one around who could've called her._

_Hinata?_

'_Who are you?' She spun around wildly, trying to pinpoint the source of the resounding echo. 'What do you want?' Her hand flew up to her throat, why was her voice such a whisper? There was wetness on her smooth cheek._

_Hinata? Are you there?_

_Hinata felt the wetness on her cheeks again. She was…crying?_

_Hinata? Hinata?_

_She put her hands by her side. 'Hello? Who are you? Hello?'_

_Hinata, answer me! Please, answer me!_

'_I am! I am! Why can't you hear me?' Unknowingly, a few more tears dripped down Hinata's cheek. 'I'm here, why can't you hear me?'_

_Oh god, Hinata, why aren't you answering? Hinata!_

'_I can hear you! I'm answering!' She could hear her rasping voice cracking as the brightness around her seemed to suddenly explode. 'Please…why can't you hear me?'_

_Please answer me, please!_

'_I'm here! I'm answering…' She sank to the mist and her voice faltered, 'I'm here…' The emptiness filled with quiet sobs. 'I'm here…why can't you hear me?'_

_For a fleeting second, she felt warm, solid arms wrap around her and soft lips press to her cold mouth. Then the brightness shattered._

"Hm….?" Hinata cracked open her eyes and tried to make sense of the blurred images in front of her. It was all a dream…? She felt instant relief…so Sasuke Uchiha hadn't showed up at her apartment after all. Hard, staccato footsteps were heard pacing up and down outside of her bedroom. Hinata's breath caught in her throat again. She threw off the blanket and stood up clumsily. Her hand caught on the broken vase on her bed stand and she couldn't help but yelp as it drew a slit across her palm. The footsteps stopped right outside the doorway.

Her eyes froze when he walked in. Sasuke Uchiha was in her apartment. Right now. In front of her. She meant to scream, or yelp, or something standard, but only a faint sound came out of her lips. "Sasuke?"

"What happened?" He looked at the blood pouring out of her hand. "What did you do?"

"Huh?" She looked down at her injured palm. A sick feeling started to wind in the middle of her stomach. The room started to spin and suddenly, there wasn't enough air. She saw him leave and come into her room again with a roll of bandages for her palm. Her mind was literally screaming at her to say something, do something at least, and not stand there, frozen. Still. Like a marble statue.

She was dimly aware of his hands fumbling with the plastic packaging around the roll and trying to wrap it around her quivering palm. A part of her flinched slightly at the touch of his cool skin, it was even colder in contrast to her own burning skin. He finally looked up at her.

"Are you alright?" He looked serious as he stared at her.

"F-fine." It'd taken a moment to register that thought that he was talking to her. And that she should probably answer him. "I'm alright?"

"Do you…want to lie down or something?" His eyes were apprehensive, as if she'd just tumbled down right in front of him.

Oh crap.

Hinata's face flushed crimson; isn't that what she had just done? She looked down nervously at the rumpled bed sheets, and mumbled, "Gomen, Uchiha-san."

"Back to that formality crap? Last time you called me Sasuke, what changed?" There seemed to be a sharp, cutting edge beneath the quiet exterior. His black eyes bore into her uncomfortably. "Call me, Sasuke, can't you even manage that?"

"Gomen…Uch-S-sasuke-san." She stumbled over the name. He was being so cold. Why?

"And stop apologizing! There's _nothing_ to apologize for!" He pulled at his black hair frustrated. He stood up and walked around the room in agonizing silence. "You're just so—so—utterly _formal!_ It's _freaking annoying_!"

Hinata looked down with shocked eyes. He was mad, angry, at her. Why did it affect her so much? She shouldn't have cared less. If only she could still talk to Naruto. But that choice was already gone…what should she do? Tears threatened to pour out of her eyes. It took a moment to realize she was hyperventilating.

He studied her from afar, his stony expression unmoving. So many times, he'd seen this reaction. So many times, he had just watched coldly from afar. Why did it sent shooting pain in his heart? She was just a mere girl, just recently popular, uninterested in him and probably marrying his own brother sooner or later. Why should he care about her?

It all stopped.

Her expression was set, and her breath was trembling as she inhaled. She was still looking at the carpet underneath her feet as she said, "Gomen, Sasuke-san. If you don't like the way I do things, then you shouldn't worry yourself with me." Her expression softened. "I'll be fine, it was nothing. You should probably be going or else someone will see you." A bitter laugh came from her throat. "That wouldn't be good for your image, I suppose. Please—just leave."

He was mildly surprised by the sudden change in her attitude. He supposed it was something all Hyuugas were born with; it was just that her instinct was buried under all the softness she'd built up in the past years. But in the back of his mind, he realized that it didn't seem like her normal behavior. He nodded slowly and whispered, "Fine, Hinata. Take care." _Don't hurt yourself again_.

"Good-bye." _Just go—please. Leave._

He turned swiftly and left. A minute later she heard the door clicking shut softly. She smiled to herself softly, and started to get the broom to clean up the shards of broken glass by her bed. He must've broken it somehow, hopefully by accident—it was a very expensive vase, something that her father had given her two years ago.

The doorbell rang just as she finished switching out of yesterday's clothes into a fresh skirt and T-shirt ensemble. She sighed and jogged toward the door. What news would the Gazette bring her this time?

The door revealed a new delivery girl, probably a first year, from the looks of her wobbling knees and naïve look. Hinata looked at her listlessly. The girl put on a brave face and gulped, "U-um, here's the Gazette issue today, Miss…" She looked at the address on the paper and squeaked, "Hinata Hy-yuuga. Only 10 more days until the King of Hearts Ball! There will be a special runway show put on in three days, with designs from Sakura Haruno-sempai. Please apply w-within 24 hours if you wish to be a model. Have a nice day!"

_Wow, that must've been hard to say,_ Hinata couldn't help but feel pity at the poor girl's plight. Imagine getting stuck with delivering all fifty papers to every senior in the dorm building. _Horrible,_ she shuddered as she closed to mahogany door. But what was on the paper was worse.

Her eyes scanned the headlines, trying to make sense of what was written on it_. No. It's not possible,_ she thought, _he would never do that. What in the world freaking happened?_ _It has to be a lie. Stupid. Freaking. Lie. Naruto…_

**Attempted Murder: Naruto Uzumaki?**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Ahhh…I just realized how slow the story was progressing. I'm so sorry, but I expect that it will quicken its pace for a few days. Can you believe that it's only been three days so far? Aghh….and the Gabbler turned into the Gazette. I hate myself. Plz review!

moonlight haku

* * *


	10. Learning How to Trust

**A Date With Destiny**

* * *

As it had turned out, Hinata Hyuuga was overreacting once again. In fact, the only thing that had happened was a bad tumble down two flights of stairs that resulted in a badly sprained leg and a many painful bruises. Apparently, it was a scene from a popular crime scene show where the victim died by falling down two flights of stairs. Naruto Uzumaki could've just gone and disproved it. Ironically, the show was called 'Attempted Murder', though it was really about successful murders.

As her heartbeat slowed and the color returned to her face, she had a good laugh at herself while reading the rest of the paper. Although in a tiny corner of her heart, she felt responsibility for Naruto's accident. He was repeatedly walking up and down three flights of stairs when he tripped over a half-eaten cheeseburger left by some almost-innocent bystander. Naruto only paced when he was feeling a bit down, and then he would come over to her dorm and rant on about it. Now, she thought as she spread strawberry jam onto her toast, that option is gone…maybe I should go see him.

The proposition terrified her. What would she say? What would she do? Could she even visit him while acting like nothing had ever happened? She chewed on the toast slowly while going over it in her mind. This day wasn't exactly starting out as she anticipated.

To visit or to not visit? Someone knocked on the door. Hinata wiped off her mouth and dusted the any scattered crumbs and opened the door. There was no one. Only a small white envelope was left on the carpet outside her door. Her name was written on it with swirling pink letters. Hinata shut the door and brought the thin envelope to her table. Her fingers were trembling.

Dare she open it?

A picture fell out of the envelope. Hinata's blood turned cold when she saw it. It was her, and Naruto, standing by the lake…kissing. All of her thoughts flew away as she gazed at the picture with wide eyes. It looked...like they were a couple; it didn't look like Naruto had grabbed her out of surprise at all. On the back of the picture, it said, 'You sure like to play around, don't you, Hinata? You can run…but you can't hide from me.'

* * *

With a thud, Hinata fell onto the chair. Blackmail. Perfect. Whoever took this had every chance to hand it to the Gazette, but then they wouldn't have anything to bargain with. What did they even want? It was no mystery as to the identity of the sender; it had to be Sakura Haruno. After all, there was a trace of her personal perfume and the pink letters had to be her work. The only problem was, why?

Sasuke Uchiha was still sitting in the main lounge when he saw Haruno and her regular crew pass by. They were giggling and shifty-eyed, but Haruno had tried to glomp him on the spot. When she backed off easily when he pushed her away, he felt his eyes narrowing and felt that there was something suspicious going on.

After the giggling groupies left, he trailed them all the way back to Hinata Hyuuga's door, where he saw them put down a letter. Probably just a stupid girl prank, he shoved his hands in his pocket, and prepared to turn around when the door cracked open. Hinata stepped out and glanced around quizzically, her eyes finally settling on the envelope on the floor. Honestly, Sasuke felt like he was peeping somewhere he shouldn't. But for some reason…

He sighed and shook his head when she backed into her room and shut the door. He had to stop hanging around her place. As he was preparing to walk away, he heard a heavy thud in her room and his interest was refueled. Obviously something had happened, something important. He ducked into a closet when she came hurrying out, wiping tears from her face. Sasuke was about to call after her and tell her that her door was left half-open, but then a thought came.

Why not take a look?

After all, she had looked in his—uninvited, no less. Maybe she left something. Something interesting,

Whoa.

Sasuke stopped short.

Sasuke Uchiha. Interested in what Hyuuga Hinata was doing? Not cool. Not like him at all.

He slid down to the floor, holding his head. One minute he feels like himself, and the other, he feels like someone else; so interested in what a girl was doing. Sasuke, Sasuke, what the hell is happening to you?

* * *

Naruto stared at the milkshake. He swirled it around with a purple-striped straw, watching as the white mixed in with the brown. It was warm, on top of it all. Disgusting.

He pushed the cup away and hobbled to the sink to dump it out. It had to be the worst morning ever. First he sees a black cat (actually, it was a stuffed animal), then he falls down three flights of stairs (because of a half-eaten cheeseburger), makes the Gazette headlines (not actually flattering for a track star) and he couldn't go and whine about it to Hinata.

Hinata.

He wondered how she was doing. Although it'd only been one day, he felt like he hadn't seen Hinata in a thousand years. The separation was unbearable.

Knock.

He looked up at the door. Someone came to visit? It must be Chouji or Shikamaru.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in, come in, I didn't lock the door, y'know!"

He heard the door open. Swiveling around and staring at his empty cup, he drawled, "Ya know, you don't have to come to laugh at me. A phone call would've been enough."

"I-I don't believe I would laugh at this, Naruto…"

"Wha—"His eyes were like round plates when he saw who was standing before him. "Hinata! Oh, I'm so sorry—"

"It's…alright, Naruto." She rubbed her arms uncomfortably. "You probably won't have time for that."

"What are you talking about?! I'm not dying or—"

"No," she sat down on a chair beside him and sighed, "but the idiotic thing you did yesterday have landed both of us in major trouble."

"What? How? Hey," he reached for her bandaged hand, but she pulled back sharply, "what happened?"

"I-I, um", she bit her lip, not wanting to say anything about her fainting spell with Sasuke, "broke a vase and cut my hand on it. It's nothing, really."

"You sure?"

"Hai, I'm fine." Her eyes were suddenly serious. "I'm not…blaming you for what you did yesterday, although it was amazingly, possibly the most idiotic thing you have ever done in your life. But someone saw it. We're in big trouble."

"So?" He shrugged, not finding anything wrong with it. If everyone thought that he and Hinata were dating, then it would be alright with him. Hell, it might even force her to actually date him and then she might actually return his feelings!

"The problem is," Hinata took a shaky breath and tried to calm down her thumping heart, "I'm not interested in a…relationship. I'm so sorry, Naruto…it's just that—I can't think of you as anything more than a friend. Can we just be regular friends? Please?"

Naruto fiddled with the empty cup. He knew as much. Of course she had already made her opinion clear the day before, but he couldn't stop the ache of his throbbing heart. He didn't look at her as he mumbled, "Have you ever tried?"

"Tried what?"

"Looking at me as more than just a friend?"

"I…" Hinata looked at her best friend and tried to remember how they used to get along. How they would always go to the beach in the summer and he would go shirtless in the hot sun and how girls would ogle at the perfect six-pack he sported. How his hair would glisten with water droplets after swimming and how his eyes seemed to perfectly match the clear blue sky. She searched her feeling for any sign of romantic attraction. None. Zip. Nada. Only friendly affection was there, an overwhelming love for a brother. "I can't, Naruto. You're my best friend, like a brother. Dating you would literally be like incest for me! It's not that you're not attractive, you are—you probably know that already. But can't you at least…understand a bit of my feelings?"

"Can't you just try?"

"Like a trial run?"

"Sorta."

"Uh…." Hinata had no idea how to respond.

"Just kidding," he laughed, but it sounded forced as it bounced weirdly off the walls of his room. "You know I would never force you to do something like that, right?"

"Hai…" She took a deep breath. "Which is why we have to fix this problem, I-I can't stand it that someone knows!"

"Do ya know who?"

"Hai," Hinata stared at her feet, "I-I think it's probably Sakura Haruno-san. You know, from the pink writing."

"Hmmm," Naruto tapped his chin in a guise of thoughtfulness, "Maybe someone is trying to frame her, y'know? I mean, she is gorgeous and every other girl should be jealous. 'Cept for you, I mean."

"But somehow…I don't think so…" Hinata thought back to how Haruno tried to push all the blame of randomly picking Sasuke Uchiha on her and how bitter she was, "I just have the strangest feeling it's because of the King of Hearts ball. Because of Sasuke." She said the last part in a small voice, though Naruto picked it up immediately. His blue eyes were sad as he muttered, "'Cause of him, huh? Why does everything seem to be about him these days?"

"Not everything, "she punched him playfully on the shoulder, although she knew just how fake that was. To tell the truth, these days, everything had been about Uchiha Sasuke. "So, what should we do?"

"I dunno, you're the one with the good grades," he gestured to her brain, "You should know, instead of talking to poor old me."

"But I'm clueless when it comes to vengeful girls…besides, shouldn't boys be better at these things?"

"Not me, "he smiled crookedly, "I'm only an expert about one girl. And that's the one who won't love me."

"I believe…I can help."

They both turned around. Sasuke Uchiha was looking incredibly uncomfortable with his hands tucked into the pocket of his designer jeans. His face still held the arrogant smirk, as always.

"How—"

"What the fuck—"

"Uzumaki, you should lock your door more." Sasuke gestured to the open door. Naruto snorted.

"I don't have any stalkers, unlike Hinata, who apparently does."

"I—"Hinata's face flushed and she glared at Sasuke venomously. He didn't take any notice of it. He cleared his throat.

"I believe that you said you needed a little help with Haruno?"

They nodded helplessly, though Naruto showed signs of protesting. Sasuke pulled a chair over and closed the door. He put a hand on the desk and a wide smile spread on his face, "I believe that I am an expert when it comes to these things as long as you're willing to play along."

Hinata looked at Naruto desperately before nodding softly, which Naruto followed with a grunt. Sasuke smiled curtly.

"Perfect."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh my…almost a month after my last update. My sincere apologies to you all. My ban from the internet has been lifted and school is over (FINALLY), so I hope to finish up the story before the end of July. Time (in the story) will go on a bit quicker from now. Sorry for the late update. And just a note…I'm changing my penname from 'moonlight haku' to 'moonhaku'. Sorry if it's inconvenient! Plz review.

-moonhaku

* * *


	11. Pain of a Crying Heart

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Hinata looked at the mirror helplessly. It must be a joke, she decided, who would do something like this to me? So vile, so horrible…so utterly _fancy_! Sasuke must be the devil incarnate, she thought irritably, and Naruto agreed to it without a second thought! They _must_ be getting horny thoughts right about now. Of course, it didn't help that Neji was now included in the plan. She could hardly recognize herself in the reflection.

There were two purple barrettes in her hair, not so much holding it back as for decoration. A shimmering purple ribbon was wrapped in a crisscross pattern down the hair that framed the left side of her face. The rest of it was swept behind her in a half-ponytail. If that wasn't bad enough, she had on a strapless lavender dress that went down to her mid-thighs. It was made of silky material and little pink flowers were scattering from the bottom-left corner of it. There was another purple ribbon that matched the one in her hair tied around her waist loosely.

And then there were the shoes, thin, strappy purple high-heels that were two and a half inches. Just looking at them had made Hinata's feet start aching. Of course, the ribbons securing them had just made it all the worse. She did however, have a light purple silk scarf to wrap around her shoulders and any other area she was uncomfortable revealing. But she drew the line at make-up. She refused to touch the eye shadow, powder, eyeliner and lipstick. A bunch of boys were not going to put that on her. Never. Not in a lifetime.

Who cared if Sasuke offered to get a make-up artist for it? Hinata was not going near that bag of make-up. But when she wasn't looking, Neji had sprayed a bottle of perfume on her, so now her nose hurt in addition to her feet.

"I'm going to kill you people someday…" she muttered to herself while staring at the mirror. In this outfit, how was she going to get around without looking like a total freak? _Why_ was she doing this again? Oh yeah…

"_Just try to look nice, and she'll become a screaming banshee. Then, you can leave the rest up to me." Sasuke smirked and pulled out a camera-phone. "She's not the only one who knows how to blackmail."_

"_So what do I do?" Naruto asked._

"_I think that you should try to keep Hinata safe."_

"_Safe?" He was confused._

"_Yeah, you think that Haruno is going to let her get away unscathed?"_

"_In that case, I'll come along too," Neji gestured to Naruto, "I don't trust putting my cousin in his hands."_

"_Wh-what do I do?" Hinata ventured to ask._

"_I told you, dress up a bit and act like your normal self. It'll work out perfectly," Sasuke's voice seemed to have a softer edge when he replied. She blinked a few times. Maybe it had been her imagination._

So now, Hinata Hyuuga was going on a "date" with Sasuke Uchiha. She wasn't sure how she felt; normally it would've made her skin crawl…but—

"Hey! Hinata-chan? Are you done changing yet? We're leaving!" Naruto yelled from the living room.

"Hai, but I'm never going out in this ridiculous outfit!" Hinata plopped down on a nearby chair in frustration. She couldn't walk more than two steps without collapsing. She sighed; sneakers were much more convenient.

"Yes you are," the door swung open to reveal Sasuke, stunningly dressed in an open black suit with a partially unbuttoned white shirt underneath. A light tint of pink appeared on his cheeks when he saw her sitting on the chair and suddenly Hinata wondered why she had to go on a date with _him_, and not anyone else. He coughed self-consciously and held out his hand, "Get up, Naruto and Neji left a few minutes before. They'll be waiting at the front door."

"I-I can't walk in these," Hinata pointed to the shoes.

"In that case," Sasuke walked over, and put on arm around her back and another under the crook of her legs, "I'll carry you, satisfied?"

He swept her up and off her feet. Hinata gasped and almost shouted, "Put me down! This is so embarrassing!"

"There's no one else around right now," he stated as-a-matter-a-fact. However, he was carefully averting his eyes, but his lip seemed to be trembling slightly.

"But we can't do this outside, 'kay? Just let me change into other shoes, please…" Hinata was whispering at the end of the sentence. The touch of his hands was burning her, and she was sure that he could hear how loudly her heart was thumping. She didn't want him to know, to find out what she was feeling… But there was no reply to her begging. She filled with rage at how quiet he was when they reached the door. Boldly, she put her hands around his face and jerked roughly, "Are you even listen—"

The intensity of his gaze made her blush. She saw something overwhelming in his smoldering eyes; desire. Desire for something that she could, would, should never give. Desire that made her choke on her words, making them dissipate into thin air. She found herself blushing hotly when his eyes never wavered from hers.

"Shit." He growled through clenched teeth as he pushed her roughly against the closed door. She gasped when his cold lips made contact with the hollow at the base of her hot throat and traveled upward to her chin. There was no time to react when he claimed her lips, kissing her with almost animalistic passion. One of his hands shifted, adjusting her legs around his waist and started to trail down her back, leaving a line of fire in its wake. Hinata didn't know what came over her.

Her hands came up, under his arms and clenched at his hair while the other was holding his suit tightly. She writhed wildly as he licked her earlobe and started to kiss down her throat, her senses going into overdrive. She felt like the world was collapsing around her in the dark doorway. She felt him pressing her tightly to the wall, and he was muttering under his breath in segments.

"Fuck..." he breathed, "This wasn't supposed to happen…"

He began unzip the back of her dress all the while kissing her roughly. Hinata hissed and clenched his shirt when she felt his fingertips brush lightly along her bare back.

"Hinata! Sasuke! What are you guys doing in there, _reading_?! It's been _hours_!" Naruto yelled through the door.

"Only ten minutes, imbecile," Neji's voice rang out from behind Naruto's, "And shut up, will you? You're giving me a splitting headache."

They both suddenly froze. Hinata's eyes snapped open and the world stopped spinning around her. She realized that she was panting heavily and their bodies were covered with a light sheen of sweat. Indescribable horror came to her mind when she realized what just happened while she was pressed on the door. She quickly unwrapped her legs and slid down to the floor. Above her, Sasuke was clutching his head in one hand and leaning against the wall. He ran a finger through his hair, which had gotten tangled in Hinata's hands, and instantly changed his composure. He gestured coolly to Hinata and then he zipped up the back of her dress. She shivered at his touch, remembering the feeling coursing through her before. Then she felt him grip her shoulders tightly and turn her around; his eyes were dead—clean of any emotion.

"This never happened." His dark eyes were stern.

"Wha—"

"Come on," he opened the door to Naruto and Neji, "We should be going, Hinata."

"Uh…" Hinata got up and dusted herself off. Forget about what just happened? She stole a look at his stony face and pain shot through her chest. He seemed like another person again…like one that she could never touch, no matter how hard she tried. She was dimly aware of Naruto asking why she had taken so long, and Sasuke's dry reply that she tripped on the high heels. He offered her his elbow and she took it reluctantly, searching his face for any sign of reaction to what had happened in the doorway. Holding tightly onto his arm, she looked down at the carpeted floor of the hallway.

Inside, she felt like her heart was ripping to shreds. When did this start to happen? She wailed internally, when did I begin to fall for him? It wasn't right. It would never be, she bit her lip, it wasn't really love, and it would never be. Sasuke Uchiha had already closed his heart to that sort of emotion a long time ago.

Who was she to think that she could resolve it?

* * *

The pair arrived at an expensive restaurant in the middle of the campus. Hinata only tripped six times on the way, and she refused to be carried. Never once did she look at Sasuke; she was afraid that tears would spill out. After ordering their meals, Hinata was just about to eat when Sakura stomped in. It was go time.

Sasuke paid no attention to the shock that the gaping girl displayed. Hinata stared at the creamed mushroom soup, trying to maintain the blush on her cheeks. She flinched when she felt Sakura's piercing glare focused on her. At this, Sasuke smirked and gestured toward Hinata and said, "Wonderful that you could join us, Haruno-san. I believe you received my invitation? Doesn't my…date look particularly fetching?"

"She," Sakura swept her eyes over Hinata's outfit and jealousy showed while she replied through clenched teeth, "is beautiful."

"Don't you have a date?" Sasuke stared at Sakura with cruel humor showing in his eyes.

"I—"the words caught in her throat. Sakura looked down, defeated. She came assuming that

Sasuke had wanted to get back together with her. Then she did something nobody expected; she started to cry softly. Hinata's eyes widened and she hurried over to the pink-haired girl. She never wanted to make anyone cry. This was crossing the line. Sasuke stared in shock while Hinata pulled Sakura to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Hinata ripped some paper towels and handed them to Sakura. She snatched them from her hands roughly and whispered a strangled 'arigatou'. When she looked up, her expression hardened though her eyes were still pink and puffy.

"You set this up, didn't you?"

"Wha—"

"You did this just to hurt me," she pointed an accusing finger at Hinata, "You knew how much I loved him and you still made your approach, you slut!"

"I never—"

"I know what you did, Hinata," she was whispering venomously, "I know that you're cheating on Sasuke with Naruto and your own cousin. Is that what you like to do? Playing with men's hearts and holding them all in the palm of your little twisted hand. There aren't any words to describe what kind of deranged evil witch you are, Hinata Hyuuga. Trying to the poor little innocent lamb stuck in a pack of wolves. You are the wolf in lamb's clothing. Men might fall for your trick, but I see through it all, bitch—"

Tears sprang up in Hinata's eyes as Sakura ranted on. The words were like poison arrows, each hitting their target perfectly, making bloody holes in her heart. And the worst thing was that they sounded so _true_. Not to say she was actually being a slut, but who was she that these three perfectly eligible men hang around _her_ all the time? First Sasuke starts to hang around her dorm room, then Naruto professes his love for her and then Neji, who is already super-busy, takes time out of his schedule to help her and give her a shoulder to cry on. Was there any use denying that she was keeping them around her? Why _was_ Sasuke Uchiha around all the time? Oh god, she stifled a cry, I feel so disgusting and…and…and so despicable!

"Enough."

Hinata looked up. It was Tenten, her face reflected the strain from the content of the conversation, but there was also a look of fury in her eyes. She jabbed a finger at Sakura and whispered, "You. You better get out of my sight before something _really_ bad happens. If I _ever_ hear you say _anything_ like that to Hinata again, I _swear_ that I'll skin you alive and slather lemon juice all over you bloody raw body. You'll be screaming so loudly that your throat will bleed…"

"You—you bitch!" Sakura turned to Hinata and sneered, "Witch. What is _she_, lesbian? You sick bastard—"

_Crack._

"I didn't want to do that," TenTen said to the shaking Sakura, "I advise that you leave—now."

Without another word, Sakura stomped out of the bathroom. Hinata stared at Tenten shyly; she'd only heard threats like that from her cousin when he found out that Naruto slept in the same room as Hinata for a night. Although, she thought wryly, Neji had threatened to peel Naruto slowly with a blunt butter knife dipped in salt and lemon juice while he hung upside-down by his ankles over a fire. TenTen turned around slowly and sighed, "Are you alright, Hinata?"

"Hai…" Hinata forced a smile on her face, not wanting the other girl to see the turmoil in her eyes, "She didn't really do anything bad. How did you get here?"

"I was just conveniently in a stall minding my own business when you guys came in," TenTen shrugged, "It got pretty nasty, what happened?"

"Sakura threatened to blackmail me with something…" Hinata lowered her eyes," and Sasuke agreed to help me with it…but…"

"His idea was too cruel for you?"

"Hai…"

"Hmmm," TenTen looked at Hinata warily and said, "If you don't mind me asking, was what Haruno saying about you and Neji really true?"

"N-no!" Hinata shook her head furiously, appalled that TenTen had even suspected it, "O-of course not!"

"Are you sure..?" She looked unconvinced. Hinata looked at her pleadingly.

"Neji's my cousin, TenTen!" Hinata continued, "Besides, he's always been really faithful to all of his girlfriends, seriously!"

"But that time…he…," TenTen murmured under her breath, but then brightened up when she felt Hinata stare at her quizzically, "I'm sure it's nothing. Come on, let's go. I bet Sasuke's worried sick."

"But—h-hey!" Two bright spots of red appeared on Hinata's cheeks, and she mumbled, "I doubt he is…"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Fear not! For the revenge plan will go on! Neji's hiding a huge secret, Sasuke and Hinata are experiencing confusing feelings, Sakura is planning her revenge, TenTen is suspicious and Naruto's just trying to heal a broken heart. However, this will all end soon and a sequel will soon be announced. The end is finally in sight!

Thanks _SO_ much for the 200+ reviews!

-moonhaku

* * *


	12. Defining the Line Between Lust and Love

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

As soon as Hinata and TenTen stepped out of the bathroom, an overly concerned Naruto ambushed them. His clear blue eyes were wide as Hinata and TenTen recounted what happened in the bathroom with Sakura. Neji let out a silent chuckle when Hinata repeated the threat that TenTen had imposed on the pink-haired girl. Both girls remained careful to skip over the main sections of Sakura's tirade; worried that it would instigate unnecessary conflict among the group. However, as TenTen played over the events, Hinata noticed that Sasuke was still leaning on the wall, staring at the diamond tile floor glumly.

After they were done, Neji asked, "Are we still going to go ahead with the plan? We'll have to revise it if we do. However, I propose that we drop it right now and try to make amends."

"Why? It's not our fault that TenTen slapped Sakura!" Naruto argued defensively. Neji's features hardened.

"I know it isn't, Uzumaki, but think about this." He spread his hands. "Haruno is a powerful enemy—especially in the Academy. She can navigate the media and paparazzi any direction she wishes and in doing so, she can cause more harm to Hinata."

"She won't be able to touch her!"

"You idiot, you think that mere force will be able to deny her?" Neji's jaw tightened at Naruto's ignorance. "Do you have any idea how this will affect Hinata's image? You forget again who she is, Uzumaki—the sole heir of the Hyuuga Corps—"

"Enough, Neji…" Hinata placed a comforting hand on her cousin's shoulder. "I-I asked Naruto not to consider my status already, it just makes everything much harder for me. I think we do have reason to be cautious, but I trust you, Naruto, TenTen and…Sasuke…" She faltered a bit at the last name.

TenTen stiffened when she saw Neji grasp Hinata's hands and murmur something intelligible to her. Hinata shook her head and went to stand next to TenTen again. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"So…that's it, then?"

Naruto examined the solemn faces of his friends. Finally, Sasuke was the one who answered him.

"No," he managed a grim smile, "Don't forget, there's still the annual runway show put on by that witch of a woman…all we have to do is get Hinata in it. It'll greatly increase her popularity and then Haruno will have to admit defeat."

"Hai…" Neji's lip twitched as he thought, "But how will we get her in?"

"Don't forget who I am," Sasuke's smile suddenly seemed sinister, "After all, I am the future co-president of Uchiha Inc., and I do have…external connections. Leave it to me, and everything will go accordingly."

"Yeah! That would totally work out," Naruto was relieved by the quick resolution that had just been achieved. "And Hinata would look totally AWESOME!"

"Um…" Hinata tugged at Naruto's sleeve, "I'm going to have to wear high-heels and more fancy things, right?"

They all stared at her.

TenTen couldn't help but feel a little bit disgusted by the incoherent blush creeping up on all the boys' faces and the tiny drop of a nosebleed on Naruto's face.

* * *

Under the stony mask he put on, Sasuke Uchiha was seething in rage. How _dare _Haruno insult Hinata, _especially_ when she was the only one who had _any _compassion on the pink-haired monster? Did the woman lose _all _sense of simple _gratitude_? What angered him almost as much was the way Naruto had regarded the witch when she left the bathroom crying. All three of them were briefly shocked of course, but Naruto's face showed poorly concealed pity for her. Of course, he had been careful to restrain himself from running after her, because if he did, Sasuke would've been glad to hunt him down. For a brief moment, Sasuke thought he detected a difference in feeling between Naruto and Hinata.

One can observe much when one is leaning against the wall, he thought sarcastically. At that moment he was just trying to control his own expression. His hand clenched at nothing when they described how Haruno had turned on Hinata and how TenTen had to defend her. It was surprising the feel the emotion swirling up inside of him, and having to press it down to maintain his cool demeanor.

It didn't help when Neji had acted so familiar with Hinata. Somewhere in Sasuke, a foreign emotion stirred in him. It was a mix of sadness, grief, anger and envy. Somehow, he came to the conclusion that it was just simple jealousy.

Jealousy at the fact that Hinata was so comfortable with everyone except for him. What had he done to make her so alien to him?

Of course, the act of groping her earlier didn't even register in his mind as he pondered over the queer jealousy he felt.

The proposal of putting Hinata in the runway show was a mere whim. But in fact, he knew that his brother's current girlfriend was an important sponsor for the show. Without her, Haruno couldn't continue. It was also convenient that the girlfriend would do _anything_ to get on the good side of Sasuke, since apparently, she didn't know about the previous engagement his brother had to Hinata Hyuuga. She was just a toy that Itachi Uchiha liked better than all the other ones.

Sasuke couldn't believe he was following his brother's footsteps with women.

* * *

The next three days were consumed in a flurry of activity.

Sasuke did get Hinata included in the Spring Flare show (as it was named); using ways that he kept to himself. The three following Gazette issues were mainly focused on the anticipation for the show and how high the ticket prices were reaching. It was well known now that Hinata Hyuuga would be in it; making the prices run even higher.

So, on the Saturday, six days away from the date of the dance, Hinata Hyuuga was quite busy backstage. Apparently she couldn't get out of wearing extensive make-up or walking in three inch high-heels. Thank goodness that she only tripped three times on the last rehearsal. Hinata fingered the outfits that she would have to switch on and off in a space of five minutes each.

They were an assortment of different shades put into different categories. Lime green and neon yellow, black lace and lavender silk, pure white and baby blue. Her hair was braided into two thick and loose pigtails intertwined with shimmering purple ribbons.

Hinata felt like a dress-up Barbie when they measured and put the outfits on her as they forced her to prance around in death-defying heels. It reminded her of how she used to play dress-up with Naruto back in the day.

Naruto.

He was practically ignoring her these days.

Whenever she saw him, he would be depressed or would refuse to talk about anything. She wished that she could tell him what was happening to her…but the words wouldn't come out. How do you tell someone that you're in love with someone that won't love you back?

Of course, she noticed, Naruto had his own problems. Haruno quieted down the past few days, wandering around with the same confused look as Naruto instead of creating any more problems or pitfalls for Hinata. To Hinata, this was a relief, maybe a sign that Sasuke's plan had worked. After all, whenever Hinata was out, people she never knew existed would greet her and smile and chatter like they were her best friends. It was unnerving to say the least.

But somehow, she thought that something more was going on.

Naruto would always be gone at the same time for lunch, and he would be optimistic beforehand. But afterwards, he was dejected and lost when Hinata tried to ask him what was wrong. When the models were all practicing to be Barbies, she would see Haruno leaning against the wall, hugging herself and minimizing her own presence.

It was like everyone had been replaced with clones.

Hinata smiled as she ran her finger down the lime green material, as least Sasuke wasn't acting too weird. He was still cold and blasé, but that just made Hinata's heart thump more, because sometimes she could see his other side when they were together. Those silent chuckles and light hints at sarcasm—a side that no one else ever saw. That alone made it all the more precious to her.

Feeling his presence, his fingers running through her hair and his ivory smooth skin under her hands…that was all very, very special to Hinata. This Sasuke she could see was warm, kind and caring—in his own way.

She wandered off the stage, hoping to get some fresh air to calm down her jumping nerves before the show began. A hand suddenly grabbed her from behind and she found herself face to face with Sasuke. His trademark Uchiha smirk was still on his face.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Hinata felt a hot blush paint her cheeks.

"To see how you're doing."

"I'm fine…"

"Are you absolutely sure?" He was staring at her intently.

"Hai," her eyes softened, "I'm fine as long as I don't break my leg on those high heels."

"Hn," he seemed to consider the possibility, "Knowing you, that wouldn't be hard to accomplish."

"Would you care?" She tried to sound lighthearted as she presented him with the question. She saw a flash of mischief in his eyes.

"You decide."

Then he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Immediately, Hinata's eyes closed and she leaned into him. Then his arm wrapped around her and she gasped with surprised as he lifted her up and ducked into a dark storage room nearby, never breaking the kiss the whole time. By now, she should be used to this…but every time she felt him so near, her heart would quicken and she found herself complying with whatever he wanted. She tried to hold back the moan as his hands roamed her slim body, finally settling around the narrow edges of her hips. Her own hands went up, clutching his dark hair.

His tongue was exploring her mouth, tasting the sweetness left over by the gum she had been chewing and effectively making her breathless. After a while, they both pulled apart, panting for breath. Hinata was still running her hands through his hair, enjoying the shudders that went through him while she did. His lips went down to the hollow of her throat, making her breath catch and her mind went blank as he trailed light kisses down her collarbone.

"D-do you…" her voice faltered when his poked under her shirt. She swallowed and tried to keep a clear mind as he toyed with the edge of her bra. A part of her mind exulted, wanting this to happen. Another part rebelled, urging her to push him away and ask the question that was bothering her for so long. The rebellious part won.

"Do you love me?"

The question hung in the air, almost visible to Hinata's eyes. She felt him freeze beside her. Her own mind was now screaming at her stupidity for asking the question. But she had to know. Were these excursions an act of love…or just the simple matter of lust?

"Does it matter?" She recoiled, stung by the frostiness in his words. She gulped and nodded.

"Hai. It does matter…" it came out in a shaky whisper.

"That never occurred to me."

"Ah." Her vision blurred with tears. So it was just lust. Her heart ached uncontrollably, threatening to shatter her whole being. How unlucky. She fell hopelessly in love with someone who would never love her back. For a moment, she thought that maybe, she found the person she could spend the rest of life with. Maybe they could've found some way to escape the bindings of an arranged marriage. But not anymore—he probably didn't even love her. She withdrew her hands and clasped them together, as if trying to hold her breaking heart.

"I…I understand," she wiped at her tears quickly, "The show is about to start soon and Haruno-san will get on my case if I don't get there early."

Without another word, she turned briskly and walked out of the dingy room. He stared at the empty space in front of him and then slammed his head into the wall. How could he be so stupid? But he wasn't the type to ever chase after a girl—not even one that he might've fallen in love with. That thought scared him immensely.

Sasuke Uchiha falling in love with a girl. Not just taking advantage of her for his own convenience, but actually loving and cherishing somebody. His head span from the pain of hitting hit head on the wall and watching Hinata leave without looking back. He tried to sift through the myriad of emotions rising up in him as the runway music started on the stage. Regret. Sadness. Jealousy. Desire. Caring. And the pain of thinking about separation from Hinata.

He closed his eyes, wondering if maybe, this overwhelming heartbreak and the pain he saw briefly reflected in Hinata's was the definition of love.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Two or three more chapters to go! Yesh indeed, I'm so happy! The sequel, which I am planning, will probably be posted a month after this one ends. It should be short, around five chapters and such. After this fanfiction, I will work on Reflection, which won the poll. Anyway, I personally hate this chapter, but it needed to be written. Oh, and the thank you drawing for 200+ votes is on my profile. Please review!

-moonhaku

* * *


	13. Can You See My Pain?

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

Hinata winced slightly as she took off the violet stiletto heels. Out of all the times to sprain her ankle, it had been when she was off the runway heading to the backstage. Her legs had been shaking from the stress of supporting her body on needle-thin pieces of metal or plastic—or whatever they made the heels out of. Her ankle was swollen, the skin turning an ugly shade of purplish-red. She grimaced as she carefully balanced some weight on her left foot, trying to put the tiniest possible pressure on the injured one.

Around her, all the other models were chattering excitedly about which outfits they got to keep and how many tickets have been sold for the whole event. It looked like Hinata was the only one with an injury. All the others pranced and walked like they were born on a runway in thin, four-inch stiletto heels. Hinata sighed as she calculated the now-immense walking distance between the main auditorium and her dorm. Not to mention the flight of stairs. She almost groaned at the thought of hobbling the whole way there.

Of course, Sasuke couldn't carry her anymore.

A bitter taste came up to her mouth as she thought of him. Thinking about not being with him, not seeing that trademark smirk and the arrogant face…it brought a spasm of pain to her chest. Her mind rejected it, wanting to move on to more pleasant memories. But she forced herself to face it. The previous week had just been a dream, a dream that reached beyond her expectations and allowed her to finally experience what love was really like. It wasn't right to mourn for a dream that was never meant to last. Especially not one that included Sasuke Uchiha.

What kind of deluded idiot was she, to think that Sasuke Uchiha could love her? He was beyond her reach in all ways imaginable. His features were perfection itself. He could choose his own future, as the younger son of the Uchiha family. He could probably choose a wife from the whole high-class society in Japan. Yet here she was. Dreaming about actually being able to spend a life with him.

She was just Hinata Hyuuga. Not particularly good-looking, had shifting personalities and a destiny already written and laid out for her. Even if he did happen to return her feelings, it would've amounted to nothing. It would've just made the separation more painful than it already was. Maybe ending it sooner was better than later.

Hinata Hyuuga didn't want to just be an object of lust. But she could not hope for even that when she wed Itachi Uchiha. She wanted to be loved. However, she stared down at the puffy and purple ankle and thought, being in the higher-class society has a price. And most often, it was love.

"Ne, Hinata-san…are you alright?" A decidedly uncomfortable voice came from the person standing in front of her.

Hinata whipped her head up and wiped at the tears that were blurring her vision. She forced her mouth in a smile and stammered, "I…I'm f-fine, Haruno-san…"

"Your ankle looks pretty bad, you want an ice pack?" Hinata could see that Sakura was forcing herself to talk to her.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll get some ice when I get home."

"How are you going to manage that? That's a serious sprain, Hinata-san."

"I've had worse," Hinata reassured her and then glanced at her hesitantly. What had provoked this strange turn in attitude? It was odd. "Do you have something you need to tell me?"

"How…how did you know?" Sakura's emerald eyes were confused. She blinked rapidly for a few moments and then settled down on a stool not far from where Hinata was sitting.

"Well, um…" she tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ears shyly and then blurted, "I was just wondering if you would give me permission to date Naruto."

It took a full minute for the words to settle into Hinata's brain. Even then her mind was going out control. Naruto. With Sakura. Naruto. Sakura. Naruto. Sakura.

Then it all clicked. The pieces of the puzzle fit together.

So that was the reason behind all those mysterious outings and foul moods. Immediately, Hinata felt like a complete idiot. She must've been wrapped up in her own tiny bubble for her not to notice this development between her 'enemy' and best friend. Some kind of best friend she was.

"W-why are you asking me?"

"Well, since you and Naruto are so close…"

"It's not like that!" Hinata was briefly horrified. "He's my best friend. Whatever makes him happy makes me happy."

"Really? Do you think he likes me?"

"I can't tell, Haruno-san…he's ignored me these past few days. You probably know more than I do."

"Ah…" a pink tint appeared on Sakura's cheeks. She crossed her arms over her chest and worked up a nervous smile.

"Um, I just wanted to…apologize for the way I acted before. I mean, I was pretty jealous that Sasuke was dating you. I was disappointed that he was in love with you, while I had been enamored in him from the day I saw him in kindergarten. I'm really sorry, Hinata-san. Can…can you forgive me?"

Hinata's throat tightened. Although she knew that Sakura's newfound affection for Naruto was the only thing that had spurred on the apology, she was grateful nevertheless.

"Of course, Haruno-san. Besides…I think that you are mistaken…" she looked down and whispered, "Sasuke is most definitely not 'in love' with me."

A look of shock briefly crossed the pink-haired girl's features. She grabbed Hinata's shoulders and stared at her straight in the eyes.

"Don't you ever say that Hinata. After all these years, I've grown accustomed to his cold and cruel demeanor—even if you haven't. I've noticed the changes that he exhibits around you I can practically feel the warmth coming off of him! He's so different now, Hinata. I've never seen him smile that way or talk so easily with anyone! Don't you dare deny it now, Hinata Hyuuga."

"How can you be so…so sure?" Disbelief wracked Hinata's mind. A grim smile appeared on Sakura's face.

"I told you already. I was the most Sasuke-obsessed fan girl for twelve straight years. I know his actions and personality better than my own. Even though I might not know his real thoughts or true intentions—I can say this, Hinata. You've changed something in him. Something that no one else could, and it's high time that you take advantage of that. Maybe you've forgotten just how popular he really is with the female population here at Leaf Academy."

"I...I…" Hinata's voice faltered as she tried to think of a counter for Sakura's argument. It was so persuasive, just the extra push that her doubting mind had needed. But it couldn't be true. Because it was impossible to fall in love within a week. Right? "…I…ano…arigatou, Haruno-san."

She couldn't think of anything else to say. The green emerald eyes were still staring warily at her, but she released Hinata's shoulders and allowed a cheerful smile to cross her features again. Before Hinata could protest, Sakura retrieved a frozen ice pack and placed it on the swollen ankle.

"So," Sakura's eyes were shining, "I ask, you dish out. I need to know everything about what Naruto likes."

"Oh…h-hai." Hinata was glad to have a distraction from the pain still threatening to consume her from the inside. "I'll try my best to answer, Haruno-san."

"And one thing," her bright eyes were still full of vigor, "Call me Sakura, 'kay?"

* * *

Hinata sighed wearily as she limped into the dimly lit hallway. Sakura had been firing off questions like a demon possessed, almost like those psychoanalysis tests where you speak the first word that comes to your mind. Hinata really hoped that Naruto's favorite color was bright orange and that he loves the special order of ramen at Ichiraku's the best. Those were things that she never paid attention to.

Watching Sakura's flushed face as she diligently committed each fact to memory brought a pang of sadness into Hinata. All of the sudden, she felt worn down and old. She would never get to experience that kind of joy, the happiness in basking in the warm love of someone who treasured her. The only thing that Sasuke treasured was her body. Not love.

Just plain lust.

She didn't look up until she was almost at her door. And there he was. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed and his chest was rising up and down slowly. Hinata stood there, frozen by the shock of seeing him. He had probably been waiting for a long time, since Sakura had been keeping her way past dinnertime. A lump rose in her throat. Why was he here?

Her fingers brushed hesitantly against his skin, tracing the faint blue vein coursing down the inside of his elbow. She almost jumped when she looked up, and saw his dark eyes staring down at her. Instead of their normal smoldering presence…she saw emptiness and the same weary look that she was sure her eyes held.

"G-gomen, Sasuke…" she whispered and reached for her door. To her surprise, his hand clutched her wrist tightly before she could grasp the knob. She looked up at him with wide eyes, no understanding the reasons behind his actions.

"Why are you apologizing? You never did anything wrong…" His voice came out in a harsh whisper.

"I-I…gomen—"Her eyes fluttered down as her heart plunged into despair.

"Didn't I just tell you not to apologize?" His tone was harsh and sharp, but if she lifted her eyes, she could've seen the anxiety hidden beneath it.

"…."

When there was no reply, Sasuke released his grip and put his head in his hands. His voice was shaking mildly as he spoke.

"I—I've been…thinking about what you said," he cleared his throat, making it obvious just how hard it was for him to talk to her. "And I've been trying to come to a clear conclusion. I—I know that what I said was…confusing, but it was honest. Can you believe me if I said that I'm not too clear about what love is?"

She blinked a few times, her heart growing cold as she digested his words. He had to be lying. Love was such a basic emotion; how could Sasuke Uchiha—the most eligible young bachelor in Japan and the object of every female's lust in Leaf Academy— be foreign to that emotion?

"My family, as you know, is not exactly the closest family in Japan. I imagine that it is much like yours," His expression was cold as he recalled the memories of his childhood. "But you, you are the eldest daughter…the heir, and perhaps they treated you with special respect. Do you understand the pain of being ignored and being compared to your older brother every step of the

way? My family is not built out of love—only rules and cold, polite manners. We marry to produce heirs—never for love. I've never seen a speck of this love anywhere in my home." He paused, with a bitter smile on his face.

Hinata stared at his cold and tortured expression as he blatantly confessed everything to her. She stammered quietly, "B-but w-what a-about a-all those girls…? D-didn't they love you?"

"Hinata," her name came out in a cracked whisper, and she carefully kept her blush in check as he touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers. They were cold, so cold. "Do you really believe they loved me? It was just a twisted, more obsessed form of lust. They only loved my appearance, my inheritance…but they never really knew me."

"Y-you pushed them all away," Hinata's thought back to what Sakura had said earlier. The pink-haired girl was so honest, so outright about her prolonged affection for the young Uchiha. She mentioned nothing about his money or appearance. Hinata felt bitterness rising up again, like a venomous snake ready to strike. These were just mere excuses. Nothing more.

"I admit," he looked weary as he said those words. "I was never exceptionally warm or accepting. There was none of that in my family. Although I stayed at Leaf Academy frequently, the coldness of my family still impacted me every time I was called away. My heart was frozen. It's very hard for me to understand things like love."

"I grew up in the same situation, Sasuke. How could you possibly have any excuse?" She regretted the sharp words as soon as they left her mouth. Perhaps she was burdened with great responsibility as the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, but they had always been there to support her. Neji would be like a brother and Hanabi's dry humor would encourage her greatly. Naruto was always there to spur her on and lift her moods. But Sasuke had nobody to cling to, nobody to give him his own identity in the shadow of his elder brother.

"True…" His eyes softened, pondering the situation. "But, don't you see, Hinata? This is what made you so special. Even in the coldness of your home, you still grew up with the kindness and gentleness that is hard to come by in any woman."

She could feel him stiffen as a tear rolled down her cheek. His tone was rigid as he spoke.

"Why are you crying? Did I offend you?"

"N-no, Sasuke," she trembled as tears sprang out, unbidden. "G-gomen n-nasai…I c-can't believe th-that I d-doubted you. A-all th-these y-years, I h-had N-Naruto, N-Neji and H-Hanabi…y-you had n-no one…I—I'm s-so s-sorry…"

"Foolish Hinata," she felt cold lips press against her forehead, "There is nothing that you—or anyone—did wrong. Can't you see, Hinata?"

His hand cupped her chin and tilted her head upwards. She was shocked at the amazingly kindness that seemed to sprout behind the normal cold demeanor.

"This is what makes me love you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wasn't that awesome? Well, the next chapter should be the last. Quick updates, huh? I admit, it was a bit too fluffy towards the end, and Sasuke became so OOC it disgusted me. However—there is still one big milestone and the ending will be hopelessly bittersweet. I will make the next chapter _a lot_ longer. Only if most of you review though! XD

moonhaku

* * *


	14. A Date With Destiny

_**A Date With Destiny**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto**

**Author's Note: **Before you read, I'd just like to thank you for all the awesome reviews and support that you've shown in the duration of this story. It was way beyond my expectations—26 reviews in the first chapter alone! This chapter is dedicated to ALL of you—readers who've stayed with me from the beginning, readers who joined in after I started and readers who will read this after it ends. Please extend a special thanks to **DreamedSong**, who was my beloved beta-reader.

Here we go, the last chapter of **A Date With Destiny**…chock full of SasuHina goodness and a one-sided love that I'm sure is _no_ surprise. You guys asked for longer chapters every step of this crazy SasuHina journey…so don't you dare complain about this one!

* * *

**Stage One: Choosing**

"I've got to get you an awesome dress—you can't possibly go to the ball like _that_!" Sakura jabbed a finger at Hinata's usual T-shirt and jeans ensemble and scowled. "There's only two days until the dance, and we've got to get you ready! First we need to get manicures, pedicures, hair appointments, spa treatments—what!"

"Wh-what are pedicures and manicures?" Hinata interrupted Sakura's ranting softly.

"You poor deprived child! That shows why we need to get you nail appointments. You'll see once we get there." An evil cackle escaped Sakura's lips, "We're going to make you so sexy that _Sasuke_ won't be able to get his hands off you!"

"Eep?" Hinata stammered uselessly. Although she was glad that the problems between her and the pink-haired enthusiast had all but disappeared, she found herself thinking that maybe it would've been better to keep her distance from Sakura. These days, Sakura was caught up in a whirlwind of activities, making the last adjustments to her own plans and then planning Hinata's whole entrance and outfit to the ball.

Hinata thought it was highly unnecessary.

But she couldn't possibly start to protest; if she refused Sakura here, then Naruto would most likely be nagging her about it also. She smiled wryly, these days; Sakura and Naruto were inseparable—especially when she dragged everyone out shopping at the Leaf Academy shopping center. Naruto was following behind them, heavily laden with large shopping bags and heavy boxes. And Sakura had only begun.

"O-kay, first, we need a dress; something unbearably sexy." Sakura turned and sized up Hinata's body. "You have a nice, curvy body—perfect! I can just see it now!"

"C-can't I just look nice? Maybe pretty?" Hinata suggested timidly, but to no avail.

"What are you, married? We've got to make you a total knock-out, or else it'll embarrass me!" Sakura selected a black dress that was laced up on both sides and designed to fit like a long tube top that fanned out mid-thigh. "Now, how about this?"

"Will that even fit?" Hinata was extremely doubtful of the tiny black 'dress'. It was about half the width of her torso, and even though Sakura assured her that it would fit, Hinata was reluctant to try it on. After a few minutes of struggling, Sakura sent Hinata into the dressing room with four different dresses and matching high heels.

As soon as she stepped into the beige-colored dressing room, Hinata threw the clothes to a corner and sighed. Dressing up and walking in high heels…not exactly her specialty. Why couldn't she just wear a nice skirt and blouse with sneakers or flats? She could just see Sakura's horrified expression in her mind if she presented her suggestion. Hinata picked up the black number, testing its elasticity with her two fingers. Not very stretchy—it reminded Hinata of an old-fashioned corset she saw in a textbook once. Probably felt like one too.

She sucked in her flat stomach and pulled the dress on from her feet. It went up reasonably well since Hinata was able to breathe without collapsing. Then came the hard part. She reached a finger to her back tentatively, feeling around for the tiny drop-shaped zipper. After grasping it as hard as she could, she strained to pull it up to no avail. The stupid negative-sized dress wouldn't give. Hinata shimmied out of it immediately. If that wouldn't fit, then none of the other ones would. All the others were tight, thin and probably a negative size twenty-five. No way was Hinata going to fit into that. She slung the outfits over one arm and pushed the powdery pink door open with her other free hand. She didn't have to look around to find the pink-haired burst of energy.

"Sakura, these don't—"

"That's okay, 'cause I have a few more that I want you to try, here." Sakura interrupted her quickly and shoved a pile of dresses into Hinata's arms. She let out a weary groan at the thought of trying them on. Sakura merely rolled her eyes and almost snorted.

"It's all part of the process, Hinata. You were condemned to this day the moment you signed up the ball. Now you go try on those dresses or Lord help me, I will put them on for you. You're the one who has Sasuke Uchiha wrapped around your little finger, always remember, Miss Hinata Hyuuga, great power comes with great responsibility."

* * *

**Stage Two: Preparing**

Hinata winced as Sakura yanked and pulled on her hair with a stiff wooden comb. She was in the pink-beauty's apartment, sitting in front of the huge vanity table with the three odd-angled mirrors. It was uncanny to see three copies of yourself at one time. She stroked the silky material of her dress, trying not to yelp as Sakura twisted and braided her dark hair with something that can only be described at violent passion.

All the color had drained out of Sakura's face when Hinata wanted to leave her hair down and natural for the ball. Apparently Sakura's sense of feminine beauty was made up of gels, sprays and complicated hairdos. She'd sat there for a whole day while

Sakura played dress-up Barbie with her. First it was the dress, then the nails, then the homemade spa treatment and finally the hairdressing.

"Tilt your head for me, 'kay?"

Hinata obliged quickly, knowing that Sakura would yank her head to the side if she didn't. it was almost vicious the way that Sakura attacked her hair. Instead of thinking about the twentieth hairdo that Sakura was inflicting upon her now, Hinata's mind wandered to…other things.

Other things that mainly consisted of a word that started with 'S' and ended with 'asuke'.

Her handsome 'boyfriend' was picking her up at Sakura's apartment with Naruto, who was Sakura's date. Technically, it was against the rules since the King of Hearts ball was supposed to consist of _blind_ dates, but in this case…Hinata was sure that Headmistress Tsunade could stand a change.

Maybe he would bring flowers…like apple blossoms or maybe violets. Although Hinata couldn't imagine where he could possibly find apple blossoms in the summer. And Naruto…he wasn't very imaginative; Hinata knew what he was bringing—two dozen red roses. And Neji, he was probably giving white lilies to TenTen. Hinata's heart stiffened at the thought of her silent cousin. She wasn't sure what was going on between him and his girlfriend or _what_ exactly was his intention with her. The thought had troubled her immensely ever since TenTen had brought up the subject. Just _what_ had Neji said, or done that made their relationship go down _that_ avenue?

She was interrupted from her reveries by Sakura's delighted shriek.

"Oh my gosh. That is the _perfect_ hairdo for you; I _cannot _believe that I couldn't think of this earlier! Look, isn't it gorgeous?!"

Hinata raised her head and tried not to ogle at the stranger in the three mirrors. Her soft hair was parted on the side and it was clipped to the sides. Two dark locks of hair framed her face and the rest was caught up in a French twist on the back of her head. In addition the waterproof makeup that Sakura had applied earlier, Hinata felt like she was staring at…at someone who could definitely stand proudly beside Sasuke Uchiha as an equal.

She touched her face tentatively with freshly manicured nails, slightly shocked by Sakura's utter _skill_ in transforming her.

"Stand up, stand up, I need to see how that looks with your dress!" Sakura pulled Hinata up and dragged her over to the huge mirror beside the vanity table. The hair fit perfectly with the long, white silky dress. It gave her a sense of elegance, not the wanton sexiness that Sakura pursued, but something pure and indefinable—something that Hinata had secretly wished for.

Hinata's heart thumped as a sharp knocking came from the door. Sakura squealed and grabbed her pink purse whilst handing Hinata a small white one. It was go time.

* * *

**Part Three: Arriving**

Her heart jumped as she followed Sakura to the doorway. It crashed against her chest like a tidal wave when it opened, revealing two extremely handsome men in tailored black Armani suits. As she had predicted, Naruto was holding an armful of red roses and looking proud of himself. She watched silently as Sakura crashed into Naruto, knocking the roses out of his arms and planting an affectionate kiss on his nose. She turned away when Naruto growled and pulled Sakura down into a deeper kiss.

"Che. Idiots." Hinata almost jumped at the voice from right beside her. It was him. Sasuke Uchiha. He smirked as she gave him a disapproving look for insulting the two lovebirds. He was holding a single long-stemmed rose with a white ribbon wrapped in a bow around the stem.

"Here, it's for you." She took it silently from his offering hand. Hinata blushed furiously as she kept her eyes carefully to the floor, away from his black eyes that were burning into the top of her skull.

"It goes well with your dress," he murmured as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. She yelped when he leaned down as placed a tender kiss on her burning cheeks. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her towards him. She looked up at him shyly from under her lashes. What she didn't know was that seeing her like that nearly did him in. It was all he could do to resist from pressing her up onto that wall and kissing the life out of her.

Hinata's eyes fluttered, desperately trying to keep a clear mind. It didn't help that Sasuke was breathing down her neck in such a way that it made her _want_ it so badly, although she wasn't exactly clear about _what_ she wanted.

"Hinata…" She looked up at the quiet murmur that came from the man in front of her. Heat immediately coiled up in her when she saw him staring very intently at her lips. "You look…beautiful."

He brushed his warm lips over the crook of her neck where it connected to her bare shoulders. She shivered, a small moan escaping her lips, unconsciously leaning into him. He leaned forward and placed hot open-mouth kisses all the way up to her chin, finally settling on her lips. A hand went up to clutch his raven hair, stroking it gently—in stark contrast to the heated kiss that their mouths were currently engaged in. Hinata felt herself melting into a puddle in Sasuke's arms.

"You know…this dress _does_ have its disadvantages…"

Her eyes widened when his hand brushed over her partially bare back. The other one was on her hip, rubbing it absentmindedly. Hinata's mind whirled into confusion and pure, untainted pleasure when he kissed her roughly, igniting a spark that traveled through her whole body. A low groan rumbled through his body when she trailed light fingers over his neck, wondering if it was as sensitive as her own. He didn't give her time to react when he swept her off her feet, never slacking their kiss. She blushed as his hand roamed over her chest and his other hand tickled her spine, making her arch into him with a hiss.

"Just _what _are you planning to do to my cousin, Uchiha?"

Hinata suddenly felt as if icicles were being thrown at the man embracing her. She felt his lips leaving hers reluctantly, and her feet fell back to the ground. Neji was standing a few feet from them, obvious contempt and pure, unadulterated hatred was flowing from his form.

"You can't tell me what I can and what I can't do with my _girlfriend_." Sasuke drawled bluntly with a nonchalant smirk. As if to prove his point and infuriate the already steaming Hyuuga, he drew Hinata into another searing kiss, making her automatically whimper into his mouth.

"S-Sasuke," Hinata gulped as he kissed down to her collarbone. Oh god, that felt _amazing_…what was she saying again? Oh, Neji. Right. "I-I think we're m-making them uncomfortable…"

"Che." He murmured as he gently nipped the tendon connecting her neck to her shoulders. Hinata couldn't help but moan softly as his ministrations. He was so _good_ at this… Unwillingly, she pushed on his chest gently, reminding him of where they still had to go.

"Fine," his dark eyes pierced into hers, "We'll continue this later."

He placed a soft kiss on her lips and straightened up, smirking all the while. Hinata gulped visibly and shivered in anticipation of his promise. A hard vein was throbbing on the side of Neji's head and he wore that expression that practically screamed '_I'm going to fucking kill you one day'_. It had no affect on the Uchiha, but Naruto was terrified just being in five feet within that glare. TenTen was patting Neji's shoulder, trying to calm him down. She gazed at Hinata, torn between reprimanding her or congratulating her. Finally, she settled on a disapproving yet awed stare at the quiet Hyuuga heiress.

"Ahem," Naruto coughed loudly. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Sakura was smiling blissfully beside him, her lips still slightly swollen from their kiss. "Not that it's really so important…but shouldn't we be getting to the ball now? I mean, it's already past seven o'clock."

They all stared him blankly for a minute. When did Naruto become the voice of reason? He shifted slightly on his feet.

"We had a limo waiting outside, right Sasuke?"

"Che."

Hinata smiled at his dismissive behavior. He gazed down and wrapped his arm around her waist tightly; ignoring the death glare that Neji was now sending him. The scent of expensive cologne drifted to her nose…something oddly fruity. Hinata grinned and blushed when he smoothed a strand of rumpled hair beside her face. The ball could actually become enjoyable after all. Even if she was wearing insanely tall high heels.

* * *

**Part Four: The King of Hearts Ball**

Sakura giggled insanely when Naruto twirled her on the marble dancing floor. He gazed adoringly at her lithe form, already starting to play the part of a doting boyfriend. A bubble of respect surrounded both of them, no other couple dared to compare with the way that they danced and twirled through the dance floor.

Whoever planned the ball really overdid it this year.

The special dance hall, with its marble pillars, marble floors and marble balconies was already enough to inspire awe. But in preparation, the marble was bordered by gold patterns twisting around the pillars and weaving through the hundreds of feet dancing on the marble. Fresh flowers of every kind lined the balconies, covered the ceiling and filled the tables; courtesy of Yamanaka Flower Arrangements. If that wasn't already enough, sheets of velvets and silk in every color draped on the huge stained glass windows, covered the tables and seats and held the flowers in place. Ribbons streamed down the sides of the rooms, and when pulled, a rain of fresh flower petals would rain down on the puller. It was a fabulous addition—although a bit unnecessary, in Hinata's opinion.

She noticed the cherubic smiles on everyone's faces as they stared lovingly into the eyes of their blind dates. Shikamaru and Ino had been this year's hot couple, sort of a beauty and the geek thing. But who could've guessed that beautiful Ino, who was widely considered to be shallow-minded, could be so happy in the arms of the previously dorky Chouji? And Shikamaru—nobody could've guessed that the lazy genius fell for bossy older women like Temari. It was downright amazing.

Although this was supposedly a strictly high-school senior dance, there were quite a number of college freshmen to "chaperone"—or in Temari's case, dance with their dates. Hinata noticed contently that TenTen was laughing and pointing at Neji, who crashed into a bowl of spiked punch and effectively knocked over the towering refreshments. There was a peaceful smile of sweet revenge on his face as he splashed the chocolate-haired woman with a glass of water.

Maybe there really wasn't anything going on after all. It was just her overactive imagination.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Hinata jerked her head over. Sasuke was sporting a sly lopsided grin. She felt her heart skip a beat at how handsome he looked in the bright lights.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how beautiful everything is."

"My thoughts exactly," he smiled, and reached a hand over. "There's some jam on your chin."

"Oh!" She reached for a napkin when Sasuke suddenly leaned and in one agonizingly slow movement, licked it off her chin before claiming her lips heatedly. The napkin fell to the floor as emotion flooded her and heat pooled in her stomach. She was dimly aware of being shifted onto his lap all the while he nipped at her collarbone. A soft moan escaped her lips as he placed burning kisses down her throat. His hands were splayed out over her waist, tickling the skin under the thin silky material. She giggled lightly, humor piercing through the lust that they both felt and obliged to.

Reaching a hand up to stroke the tussled midnight hair that barely fell to his shoulders; she felt a jerking in the back of her head. She gasped when she felt her hair fall out of their complicated pattern and the tresses fell to cover her back. Sakura would be positively furious with her. The thought was somehow alarming, but it flew out of her head when Sasuke's lips were pressed against hers again.

_Oh, never mind!_ Hinata's mind sang as she tasted the faint sweetness of Sasuke's silky mouth behind his ragged kiss. A small part of her mind was still holding back, preventing her from completely losing herself to him. She pushed away that small corner desperately, trying to contain the unequivocal passion in her love's kiss. A bright blush painted her cheeks when someone near them whistled loudly and hooted while pointing a finger at them

After a while, Sasuke pulled apart, panting slightly as Hinata lightly trailed her fingertips down his throat teasingly. He wasn't wearing a tie and the collar was unbuttoned while both sides hung open loosely. She traced a finger down the bony outline of his collarbone, enjoying the slight quakes that went through him as she did.

"You can't imagine how that feels," he murmured thickly. Her curious fingers continued up to his jaw line, she realized for the first time how his looks bordered on the edge of epic feminine beauty and masculine beauty. The skin under her fingertips were pale, soft and unblemished like a woman's, but the way his features came together and that desire burning in his eyes…they were downright _male._

Hinata placed a light kiss on his nose, mirroring his move earlier in the hallway. He looked amused by the random act of boldness and smirked again before leaning in and pulling her into a gentle kiss. It was so different from the ones before it, so sweet and gentle that Hinata could almost taste the love behind it. Maybe they could actually make it work. Maybe she wouldn't have to marry Itachi Uchiha after all.

She felt her blood run cold.

_That _was what had bothered her all day long. This couldn't possibly work. She was in such a serious relationship with her fiancé's own younger brother. All the warmth she felt before fled and she could feel Sasuke's puzzlement at how her lips were suddenly frozen. Hinata smiled weakly at him, trying to fake that she was alright. This couldn't ruin their night, not this night. He didn't buy it. Real concern showed in his endless ebony eyes as he tried to figure out the coldness that had overtaken Hinata.

She straightened up and leaned against him while his arm was still around her shoulders. Waves of guilt and fear washed over her. A large part of her mind wanted to skip over the pain; it rejected it completely. But as before, Hinata forced herself to face the music.

There was no way that something like this could work.

It would just be a brief fling, possibly three years of happiness if she was lucky. Hinata's twenty-first birthday felt incredibly close; it gave a dark feeling in the pit of stomach. It was too late to stop the painful tears that tumbled out of her eyes. She could feel confusion in Sasuke's touch when he brushed the tears off.

"Hm, salty."

"I—what—you—you _tasted_ it?" This startled Hinata out of her reverie for a moment. She stared up at the Uchiha who was lowering his hands to brush more tears off her face. Thank goodness for waterproof makeup.

He shrugged as if it was a natural thing.

"I've heard that happy tears were sweet and sad tears were salty. Just wanted to try it." He spoke in an offhand manner, trying not to look interested in Hinata's dilemma. It didn't work. Underneath the perfect cold mask Sasuke melded onto his face, Hinata could see the man that she had come to love. The man who was just as emotional, loyal, fierce and passionate as Naruto. He just had a better way of showing it.

Was Itachi Uchiha like this? From earlier conversations, she gathered that Sasuke didn't like his elder brother much. It was well known that Itachi played around with women of all backgrounds and was reluctant to take up his father's prestigious company. Memories of glimpsing the elder Uchiha when they were younger rose to mind. He had the same eyes, but with a more haunted and weary look. He was also ridiculously good-looking; maybe even more so than Sasuke. But that was so many years ago—and Hinata didn't trust her memory.

"O-kay!" The music in the background suddenly faded. Hinata and everyone else stared at the pink-haired figure standing on the stage with a mike. Sakura looked magnificent in sparkling red dress that hugged her hips and had a neckline that plunged to her belly button. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing with Naruto the whole night. In her hand was a gold-rimmed envelope.

"Just like every year for the King of Hearts ball, we have a voting event for the King and his Queen! Then there is voting for the cutest couple, sexiest couple, and the most unexpected couple! The ballots are under the glass vases on each table. Pick up the roses in the vase and you will find that they are pencils! Please fill them out and then drop it in the box here."

She bent down to indicate the large ivory box by her feet.

"The computer will give us the results in a few minutes, so please hurry! Thanks!"

Sakura put down the mike and ran down to Naruto again. Sasuke handed Hinata a card along with a long-stemmed rose-pencil. She studied the card for a minute and carefully filled in the appropriate blanks. King…she glanced timidly at Sasuke and wrote down his name. Then for Queen, she confidently filled in Sakura. She was always exceptionally beautiful; and even more so when she made a conscious effort. The rest was easy. Cutest couple was easily Ino and Chouji; she glanced over at Ino, who was feeding Chouji delicately with a silver spoon. Sexiest couple would be…her eye caught on a dark-haired man who was feverishly kissing a dirty blonde. Shikamaru and Temari. Sakura and Naruto easily made the most unexpected couple.

"Finished?"

"Hai…what did you write?" She took the card from his hand and offered her his. A blush rose to cheeks when she saw that he filled all the categories with both of their names. She felt like she should've been slightly annoyed at him…but it wouldn't come out. A sound that almost sounded like a snort came from the man beside her. Hinata looked at him in alarm—his whole frame was a shaking with silent laughter.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Your choices, of course." His face was composed again, but the humor was still in his eyes.

"First Haruno for Queen, then Yamanaka and the fat kid, then the lazy-ass guy and bitchy blonde and then Haruno and Uzumaki! It's hilarious."

"A-at least I diversified. Unlike…unlike this!" She jabbed a finger to his spidery kanji on the card. He became serious.

"I was only telling the truth."

"Really."

"Of course," he replied lightly, taking no indication of her sarcasm. "You're much more than beautiful—especially tonight. You're almost unbelievably cute, unbearably sexy and we do make an odd couple, correct?"

She could think of no words to say. This kind of behavior was so strange for him…even when he opened up to her.

"Don't kid me…I can't possibly be all that…" she murmured.

"Hm," he leaned in closer to place his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha—not a dorky kid who doesn't know crap. I'm insulted."

"Don't be…" she brushed her fingers on his cheeks. When did he turn so sweet and open to her? A brief flash of pain clouded her senses. This was what she had to leave behind. How much more will it hurt in three more years? Already she felt like she belonged to him, all of her was his and there seemed to be no life without him around. How much would that grow in three years?

* * *

**Part Five: Confessing**

A slow dance started in the hall and the lights were dimmed to provide the perfect romantic atmosphere. Sasuke had taken Hinata's hand—despite her numerous protests—and pulled her onto the dance floor. 'It's all in the leading', he'd said when Hinata pointed out that she couldn't dance—much less twirl in stilettos. She tried to follow his feet, and ended up stepping on them a few too many times. Hinata would glance at Sasuke with a reprimanding look when he complained that dancing with her was life threatening. After all, he was the one that forced her to dance when he knew very well that she couldn't.

She lay her head on his broad chest, her mind drifting away to the future again—the future in three year when she would become Itachi Uchiha's wife. As his partner, she would have to attend many formal parties; all of which would include dancing. Would Itachi lead her like this? Would she ever feel so comfortable in his presence?

The music faded all too soon. Hinata sighed and buried her face in Sasuke's chest. Those thoughts coming to her head wouldn't stop—maybe it was the spiked punch or maybe it was just high time for her to face the facts of this relationship with Sasuke Uchiha. It would never work.

"Something wrong?" The unspoken concern in Sasuke's eye brought a soft smile to Hinata's lips. She hesitated for a minute and then shook her head. Nobody should worry about her problems—especially not him. He was unconvinced, but thankfully he didn't inquire any further.

"May I borrow Hinata for a moment?"

"Neji?"

The Hyuuga was holding out his hand to her. Sasuke glanced at Hinata reluctantly; not wanting to let her go.

"Don't worry, only for one dance. I am her cousin." He suggested with some importance with a condescending look at Sasuke.

"It's fine, Sasuke. Just once." Hinata pecked Sasuke on the cheek reassuringly and took Neji's arm awkwardly. She noticed his dark eyes following her as they started to sway softly to the music.

"Are you having a good time with Ten-chan?" Hinata inquired. He looked at her blankly and then seemed to realize whom she was referring to.

"Hai. How about you?" He cast a threatening glare to the man across the room. "I trust he hasn't tried anything…yet?"

"I doubt he will any time soon," Hinata smiled easily, masking the turmoil she was feeling. Was it just her or was Neji looking at her in a totally uncomfortable way? Maybe it was just a figment of her imagination again.

"I noticed that your hair is different," she tried not to flinch when he tucked it behind her ear. "What happened?"

"U-um…nothing at all. I—I just decided it was better this way." No freaking way was she going to tell her overprotective cousin that Sasuke had let it down while they were kissing. Changing the topic, she whispered, "You think that there's any chance I wouldn't have to marry Itachi Uchiha?"

"Hm, I doubt it. Hiashi-sama left no room for argument when he announced the decision. Are you aware that this has been planned since you were barely old enough to read?"

"Really?" This disturbed Hinata greatly. She'd always known that these things were often mapped out in advance; but she never realized the full extent of it.

"I'm sure your date over there knew about it all along. Fugaku-sama doesn't keep anything from his two sons."

"What?" The room seemed to close in on Hinata. Sasuke had known about it all along. Yet he still allowed her to love him; still let her life become hopelessly entangled with his. Was this just some sick competition between brothers? A game of 'who-gets-the-heiress-first'? "That can't be true…right? Then he would've told me…"

"There are many things you don't know about that Uchiha brat, Hinata. You've only known him for two weeks."

She gave him a furious look, but behind it was the pain that was seeping in her heart.

"Could be so…but I know I'm already in love with him. There's nothing changing that."

"How can you be so sure? You've never had experience with any other men!"

"There was Naruto." She argued defiantly.

"He doesn't count," Neji was exasperated, "You were his best friend—and he only announced his true intentions when you had already fallen for that—that _Uchiha_!"

"That's enough." Hinata stopped moving and planted her feet firmly on the ground though her voice was trembling. "_What_ is with you and Sasuke? He's the love of my life, and you have a problem with that? Have you forgotten that you are in no such position to order _me_ around?"

She instantly regretted the words when they came out of her mouth. Anger flashed across Neji's features at her piercing tone. Never before had she stressed how high her station was compared to his; in fact, she'd asked him to stop calling her 'Hinata-sama' six years ago.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Hinata-_sama_," his voice was laced with sarcasm and venom. Hinata flinched at the pain behind his words.

"Excuse me, Hinata-_sama_. I believe that my presence is no longer welcomed here." Then he turned briskly and started to walk away.

"Oh, Neji…I—I'm so sorry…I…I didn't mean to," Hinata clenched his white suit from behind. "I-it just slipped out…can you forgive me?"

He sighed and turned to face her again.

"Fine. I should apologize too, I was being rude." But the damage had already been done, as Hinata could see in his eyes.

"Please don't hold it against me. I—I was just trying to convince myself of…maybe seeking a future with Sasuke."

"What?" His white eyes were shocked, with something akin to fury in them. "That's impossible, and you know that, Hinata! Hiashi-sama's orders cannot be defied so easily! How can you _possibly_ consider that?"

"But maybe I could, maybe there would be a way…" Hinata murmured to herself helplessly. Already Neji was shaking his head stiffly.

"There is only one way to get out of marrying Itachi Uchiha. Marry within the clan. If you go to Hiashi-sama with this proposal, he would surely agree."

"I can't do that!" Hinata was horrified. "Marry my relative?" Why can't I just stay with Sasuke?

"Don't you see? Itachi has already inherited the company—there is no chance in hell that Sasuke will ever become more than a vice-president. Hiashi-sama will never approve of that math! Think about it, Hinata. Either be spurned by the clan forever or you become one of the most influential and rich woman in history, unless…" the volume of his voice dropped, "Unless you decide to marry within the clan, of course."

"I hardly know anyone in that clan, besides; I'm already in love with Sasuke." _Right?_

"Not even me?" His voice was so low that she had to strain her ears to hear it. But it was there. Finally it was out; the reason that TenTen felt so uncomfortable around her, the reason that Neji emanated pure hatred to any member of the male species that got close to Hinata, the reason that there seemed to be something ill stirring.

"Neji…"

"Think about it," he seemed eager now. "Hiashi-sama wouldn't disagree and you wouldn't have to become an Uchiha's wife. You'll still be heiress to the company and still a Hyuuga. Can't you consider it?"

"But I _want_ to become an Uchiha's wife; just not the elder one's. You're my cousin, Neji…I can't…I cannot do that." Hinata felt terrible saying those words. She could feel sudden stiffening in the man in front of her. "I love Sasuke…and I'll do whatever it takes to marry him if he wants me."

"Forget about it. Forget that I said anything." Neji snapped briskly. "There's no chance that this will work, but if you reconsider…the choice if always open."

"What…what about Ten-chan? She really loves you."

"She got close to me of her own free will; I haven't really shown much affection of any kind to her. She begged me to date her for a trial period. I agreed."

"That's not very nice, y'know." Hinata poked his chest playfully. She was glad that the tension seemed to be lifting.

"What can I do? The one that I love is already taken."

"That can't be true…" She sobered immediately.

"It's true. I've known that since middle school," he sensed her discomfort and quickly changed the subject. "It's alright though. I think that the Uchiha is getting impatient, you should get going."

"Oh…hai. Thank you for…for telling me, Neji. I…I appreciate it." Hinata tried to sound grateful. The confession had her mind whirling; was her only choice really between Itachi Uchiha and her own stoic cousin? Impossible, she tried to convince herself when Sasuke had his arms around her again, I must find a way.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing. School stuff." Hinata said in an offhand manner. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Can I ask you something, Sasuke?"

"Hm. What do you want to know?"

"Did…did—oh, it's just silly. Forget it." She barely mumbled.

"Che. Now I'm curious." He leaned down and nuzzled the sensitive area of her neck softly, invoking a shiver that had nothing to do with the low temperature in the dancing hall. "Tell me."

"Neji mentioned s-something while we were talking," she tried to breathe properly as her heart sped up. "Did—did you know that I was engaged to Itachi Uchiha all along?"

There, she said it.

Her heart froze when his lips left her neck. His eyes were frighteningly serious when he studied her face. He finally sighed.

"Hai. I knew all along."

"Then—then, why?" She whispered. "Why did you let me fall in love you?"

"Because I fell in love with you too. It was too late." His voice cracked forlornly as his hand stroked her cold cheek. "Too late to turn back…"

* * *

**Part Six: Breaking**

She jerked away from him suddenly. Ice hardened in her white eyes.

"Don't give me that crap. You can't possibly know how hard it was for me to be with you. This is nothing more than an over-complicated competition between brothers, isn't it?" The venom in her own voice surprised her—she usually never lost her temper like that.

He was silent, staring at her with mournful eyes. That. Was. It. Hinata freaked. The pain, anger and hurt in her heart exploded in a small, sharp whispered jumble.

"Do you even understand the extent of a risk that I'm taking now? How much will this hurt when I have to marry your brother, how will that gaping hole ever heal? Have you ever thought about my feelings; that I might want _more_ than this?! That I am _truly, deeply and irrevocably_ in love with you? I cannot stand to have my heart broken—"

"I won't let it." He swept her up in a deep kiss. Hinata's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she struggled to no avail. His hand was cupped around the back of her head, holding her lips to his in one fierce kiss. It effectively left Hinata breathless, but the pain, anger and frustration were far from gone. This only intensified it; knowing that she hurt him, knowing that he was trying so hard to dissolve her pain when it just wouldn't go away.

He pulled away, while she was trying to get her breath back, he looked her right in the eye. Blazing determination and something border lining pleading echoed in the background.

"I _do_ understand, Hinata. How could I not? We have three years ahead of us, three years to figure out what to do—three years all to ourselves. Neither my brother nor your cousin will ruin this for either of us. Just try to accept this, Hinata—it's something that you desperately need."

"How—how did you know about…" she faltered, horrified that Sasuke knew what had conspired between her and her cousin. A smirk worked its way up to his pale face.

"It's not that hard to guess, Hinata. I read lips." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's one of my many talents."

"Anything else that I should know?" Hinata asked playfully, while fervently hoping that the 'anything else' wouldn't be too freaky. Like two belly buttons. "A secret girlfriend, brood of kids or the fact that you're actually a girl?"

"Che. What a group of completely absurd guesses," he stroked a hand against her neck. "You know very well that I love you, I hate kids and as for the last fact…you can decide."

"What—I—you—Sasuke!" Hinata was red-faced, not knowing what to say about his last comment. The words sent a little flutter to her heart; thought not entirely in the pleasant sense.

"We'll use protection. I hate kids." Hinata felt like slapping the smug smirk off his face. This was getting freakishly annoying.

"You know very well that for _after_ we're married." The smirk grew wider in apparent triumph. An 'O' formed on Hinata's face; she'd just directly contradicted her own words by insinuating that they would be married one day.

"We're getting married?" He tried to look surprised.

"Possibly. You convinced me."

"My, weren't you just saying that it was—"He seemed intent on teasing her to no end. Hinata scowled.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Hinata felt giddy when mild surprise lighted up in Sasuke's eyes. He grinned deviously and leaned toward her.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

**Beta-Reader's Note:** hey everyone. It's **DreamedSong**, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. I, surprisingly, did, even though SasuHina wasn't my favorite pairing. Moonhaku did an excellent job didn't she? Remember to review! Oh yeah, moonhaku, you don't mind if I posted a note, do you? I thought it was fun to make one.

**Author's Note:** I have twisted the characters BEYOND recognition. Well, I hoped you like it anyway. My god, this story wasn't that nice but you readers still loved it! This'll be my last high-school fic for a while. I decided it was ridiculous to write so many high-school fics when I haven't even started high school (will once the summer is over).

The new poll on my profile will let you choose which pairing you want for my next fic! I have a story ready for each of them of course. **Ita**Hina, **Sasu**Hina or **Neji**Hina?

I will post up the announcement for the beginning of the sequel here so you won't have the trouble of putting me on author alert. Now…turn your hungry eyes on **Reflection** (SasuHina) for a good darn while!

-moonhaku

* * *


	15. Sequel

* * *

**Dear Readers:**

Here it is, the thing you've all (hopefully) been waiting for! The sequel to **A Date With Destiny **is here! I know it hasn't been a month…but no one's complaining, right?!

**Fighting For A Future: **SEQUEL It's almost Hinata's 21st birthday and all hell starts to break loose. Sasuke proposes but tradition holds Hinata back from accepting. How will she choose between her family and love? **SasuHina; minor, one-sided NejiHina **

Now, please go read it and then review to tell me if you love it or hate it! See you there!

-moonhaku

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